Setting aside Deranged Luckas, it is still clear that the bred is losing hardiness. American dirt horses have drastically reduced their annual campaignes as have European turf horses. Good horses with humane trainers are still breaking down too often.

IMHO, perhaps a major part of the equation is to improve the strength and stamina of the bred by banning all race day medications. Only horses that run fast AND CLEAN should to to the breeding shed. Owners won't like having fast horses that they can't race because "the just need a little help from their friends," but it is a price that needs to be paid. This way, we get brillance and endurance.

Maybe as a compromise, claiming races could allow medications, but Maiden, Allowance and Stakes races would be clean.

As a collateral benefit to strengthen the breed, we could increase weight imposts for humane treatment of jockeys.

Don't get me wrong, perhaps better spacing of our Classics (one spring, one summer, one fall?) and polytracks or deeper tracks, more grass racing, etc, are good moves too. But the bottomline is that Thoroughbred racing is about improving the breed. As is, we have sacrificed all for brilliance, which results in tragedy all to often. Time to change.

Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey