Letters to the Editor: Christopher L. Baker

[Wandering Eyes]

To the editor of the TDN,

It was with great interest that I read excerpts from Todd Pletcher’s recent TDN podcast. Of particular interest to me were Todd’s remarks that the Thoroughbred industry’s current crisis related to catastrophic racetrack injuries is not just a problem for trainers and racetracks, but an industry wide one. I couldn’t agree more. We are all in this together.

Trainers are commonly assigned or acquire equine athletes to train and race. Depending on the circumstances, these athletes have passed through many hands before reaching their trainer at a racetrack. From (1), planning the mating to balance traits of speed, stamina and soundness to (2), management and husbandry practices employed from conception through pre-training to (3), sales preparation for weanling, yearling or 2-year-old sales to (4), introduction to saddle and rider and the critical pre-training process before they ever reach the racetrack, many decisions and choices are made that impact the athletic future of these horses.

Inevitably, trainers and racetracks will receive the majority of the criticism when catastrophic racing injuries occur as they are most involved when this happens, but they generally have not bred, raised or prepared the horse for racing up to the point when it arrives at the racetrack. All stakeholders and inputs from planning, production, development, pre-training, training and environmental factors throughout impact performance. No doubt the greatest contributors to injury are encountered at racetracks in final race preparations designed by trainers, but those of us involved in the production and development of our equine athletes must do our part to ensure the horse is prepared to withstand the challenges he will face in training and competition.

Over the past several months of crisis, I have often asked myself “as a breeding farm manager, what can I do to make a difference?” I haven’t always had a clear answer. One thing I can do, every day, is ensure that all of the actions and choices made in the production and development of the horses in my care are preparing them physically and mentally to reach their full athletic potential as safe and sound as possible. If everyone involved in every phase from production through performance really works at it and puts the best interests of the equine athlete ahead of commercial or profit or other conflicting motives as we produce, prepare and compete, we will certainly be in a stronger position to minimize catastrophic injuries and proudly tell our story to the public. We can all make a difference daily by consciously and intentionally putting the horse first in every action, every choice we make.

(These are my thoughts and opinions, not necessarily those of Three Chimneys Farm.)

Sincerely,

Christopher L. Baker
Chief Operating Officer, Three Chimneys Farm

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