Two recent articles, "Deaths of 2 horses before main race cast pall over day" (May 21) and "Horse deaths at Preakness highlight reality of racing" (May 23) require comments. The writer points out something very important when she says the deaths of the two horses at the Pimlico Race Track on Preakness Day reveal a stark reality to spectators who hadn't seen a horse fatality at the event in the last nine years. "More than 30 horses have died at Pimlico in the past six years — a fact generally unknown to casual fans or those who attend the annual event to party in the infield." Additionally, she points out an average of 24 horses die each week at race tracks across America.
To me, this shows there is only one solution to this problem. Sorry to say this but the Maryland State Racing Commission should be abolished and the Maryland legislature should not subsidize the racing industry.
There's no real discussion about how these horses suffer while they are forced to race against their will. The subjecting of horses to excessive traveling and the beatings jockeys use to spur these horses on to victory are all part of animal cruelty.
In my opinion, horses are not athletes, they are beautiful animals. Racing is an activity, not a sport, that provides people with an excuse to place bets. If people want to continue the Preakness on a yearly basis, that's fine. Let the 135,000 people come out and party up all they want at Pimlico — with all the bands and food — just let the horses stay on the farms where they belong.
Whether we like it or not, this is really how it should be if one cares about the welfare of the horses.
Ralph Jaffe, Baltimore