I do not buy into the thought that the Ruffian movie, and the two movies out about Barbaro, should rather be "hands off" subjects, simply because terrible tragedy was involved.
Don't speak of it, and it doesn't exist? That's the ultimate betrayal to the horses involved, no? To any horse that gets injured in this sport.
Barbaro drew thousands of casual fans into participation, at the very least via showcasing how veterinary medicine can and does care for these elite athletes. That shocked and educated alot of people who had no idea (including some quite familiar with racing).
To additionally humanize the participants surrounding the lives of these great animals, and thus opening up the heart of racing to those outside it, can only help the sport.
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"Have the clean racing people run any ads explaining that giving a horse a Starbucks and a chocolate poppyseed muffin for breakfast would likely result in a ten year suspension for the trainer?" - Dr. Andrew Roberts
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