Baffert Supports HIA in Washington Post Op/Ed

[Wandering Eyes]

On a day when the Washington Post’s editorial board came out in support of a total ban on horse racing, Bob Baffert has written his own op/ed in the Post in support of the Horseracing Integrity Act (IHA).

“Horse racing is experiencing the most profound crisis in the long history of the sport. To emerge stronger, we must act decisively to protect the horses who are the stars of the show; nothing else will restore the confidence of fans, gamblers and the general public. And that means federal action.”

The piece continues, “I have held off supporting the HIA until now because I’ve questioned whether the benefits of creating a new layer of federal regulation would outweigh the burdens. However, these federal indictments have convinced me that horse racing needs immediate and drastic action to fix a broken system.”

Both articles, including the editorial board’s, “Horse Racing Has Outlived Its Time,” were posted at 7 a.m. The editorial board argues, “anyone who thinks horse racing is like any other major sport is lying, ignorant or kidding themselves. No other accepted sport exploits defenseless animals as gambling chips. No other accepted sport tolerates the cruelties that routinely result in the injury and death of these magnificent animals. The rot in horse racing goes deep. It is a sport that has outlived its time.”

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