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Escaping the Stable

The Plight of Thoroughbreds and Draft Horses

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Alan Schmidt
May 08, 2025
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American President Thoroughbred Horse Profile - Next Race, Form, Stats ...

Recently, the grand spectacle that is the Kentucky Derby concluded. The most famous horse race of them all, it’s a gambling extravaganza as bets are made against the world’s top horses competing in a riveting, sub-three-minute race. These horses, some worth millions, are bred from the finest stock. And this stock is getting narrower, with every horse having the legendary Secretariat as an ancestor. Not only breeding, but every aspect of their life is analyzed and controlled to the most minute detail. They are trained from infancy, mixing scientific rigor with long, hard-won knowledge with regards to diet, training, and grooming to create some of the fastest creatures in the world.

The competition is also among the most vicious, and most of these horses, bred and trained for greatness, will find themselves incapable of competing in the highest tiers of the sport. While still valuable, all but a select few of them are cursed to be a bitter disappointment to their master.

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