Horse Racing: The lost glory of thoroughbred racing in America
Thoroughbred horse racing was once considered the favourite sport of the locals of Northern America. The sport is now facing a downfall, with the trainers and those involved in the industry trying their best to save the once fancied sport. It has been a
topic of discussion of many sports analysts, as why people have lost interest in the American horse racing events. Two days before the start of the $ 5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, the trainer of the so far unbeatable Zenyatta was questioned
about the tarnished image of the sport. Unfortunately, the legendary trainer John Sheriffs could not come up with a better answer than just to put forward a plea that fans should come and see Zenyatta run on Saturday. On the other hand, the critics believe
that Zenyatta’s victory or loss in the much anticipated event cannot save the horse racing industry in the country.
What is important at this point in time is to see into the reasons that have pulled away the fans from their favourite sport and how to bring the sport back to its former glory. One of the main reasons is that only 11 thoroughbreds have made it to the United
States Triple Crown. After giving a couple of brilliant performances in the first two jewels of the Triple Crown, the racehorses have not only lost the third leg but also utterly disappointed their fans and those involved in the horse business. This has caused
the attendance on the racetracks to decrease significantly. Eager spectators at the Belmont Park have been getting disappointed for 32 years now, since the last Triple Crown champion Affirmed earned this award.
The three races of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes are the most significant races that are run in America, have not been won by any apparently talented thoroughbred racehorses of the modern horse racing
arena. This has led to the shuttering of a few legendary racetracks in the country, for example, the historic Laurel Park’s management has denied its availability for the racing events that were scheduled for December this year.
Now, all eyes of the few passionate fans of the sport are set on Zenyatta and her performance on Saturday in Churchill Downs. The filly has an exceptional speed and has managed to hold off male horses of older age in her quite a few of her career starts.
She will be running the last race of her invincible athletic career on Saturday and thus is the most flaunted and advertised racehorse of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. After winning 19 out of 19 of the races that the Kentucky bred mare has contended, Zenyatta
is heading forward to conclude her racing career perfectly. However, her dominance at the Breeders’ Cup Classic is significantly threatened by Lookin At Lucky, Quality Road and Blame, just to name a few champion competitors of the upcoming event.
The fans of Zenyatta say that watching her run is a pleasure. Meanwhile, her trainer John Sheriffs says that he is confident that the racehorse will set a track record under the famed jockey Mike Smith. He was reported as saying,
“Wherever she may be, they will talk about her.” He went on to say that the racehorse will definitely become a goodwill ambassador to the sport and added, “Because that is one of the things about it – you can talk about some races, and you can
come together and relive it. I hope so.”
Even though, one racehorse cannot reconcile the current wreckage of the entire thoroughbred industry, Zenyatta’s victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic will still mean a lot to the fans of the sport and people involved in the horse business.
Tags: