In May 2023, 12 horses died in Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby. And these numbers are a part of a larger problem. Thousands of racehorses around and outside of the US die every year due to being abused and pushed to the brink of their physical limits. They begin their racing training at just 2 years old, and are sometimes kept in isolated cramped spaces for up to 23 hours per day. Many horses suffer fractured legs or die from heart failure due to the excessive running they are forced to do. During races, they are whipped to encourage speed. The horses that somehow survive all of this treatment suffer from various long-term health issues and as many as ten thousand racehorses are sold for slaughter every year once they are no longer profitable to the racing industry.

How could anyone let this cruel treatment continue for the sake of a sport? Well, some argue that horse racing is popular and hence profitable. But, in the state of New York at least, this is simply not true. In fact, attendance rates at horse races in New York have been on the decline for decades, to the point where for most races, there are almost no spectators at all. A 2021 Marist Poll found that 91% of New Yorkers have no intention of ever attending a horse race. The profitability of horse racing in New York reflects these attendance numbers, with the revenue they bring in not being enough to sustain the tracks, or the races, or the horses.

So how has the horse racing industry not died in New York? Every year, the horse racing industry in New York receives $230 million in government subsidies, mainly coming from casino revenue.

In total, over $3 billion in casino revenue has been used to prop up this cruel, dying industry that New Yorkers do not support. These are funds that could be going towards public welfare (i.e. infrastructure and education), which is what New Yorkers actually want.

The original reasoning for these subsidies was to help horse racing become more popular and profitable, but after 18 years of subsidies attendance and profits are very clearly still on the decline. Furthermore, people in the horse racing industry, both horse owners and race track owners, receive tax breaks and a multitude of other benefits. And to make matters worse, these subsidies are expected to increase, which could cost the New York taxpayers at least $1 billion every four years.

Fortunately, there are elected officials in New York who recognize this issue and want to put an end to it. Senator Julia Salazar and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal have been working to pass legislation that would redirect hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies away from horse racing and toward education.

Take Action Now

Please join Species Unite in urging New York lawmakers to do the right thing: end these subsidies, protect horses, and invest in the future of children instead.