equine question...racetrack conditions

Question
Hi again. Thank you so much for helping me with the previous question. I am sorry to bother you again, but I have another inquiry to make.

What is the main factor that causes race horses to breakdown during the race?
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Followup To
Question -
Hi, I am currently doing a research project, and I need some answers from experts. Thank you if you are able to answer my question.

Which condition of the racetrack (fast, sloppy, etc.) affects the breakdowns of racehorses the most?
Answer -
Hi, Mel -

Living in Southern California, I don't see very much racing on off tracks, but based on what I've seen of national racing, I don't think track condition has much to do with horses breaking down.  What seems more important to me are (a) breeding, and (b) overracing of young horses.

Owners and sellers of horses always seek to breed to fast stallions, even if they may have been the victims of injuries or have been retired early to avoid possible racetrack injuries.  This tendency to breed to fast horses that left the races early seems to me to perpetuate unsoundness in the thoroughbred, and lead to more frequent breakdowns.

Overracing of young horses also contributes. There are now many 2-year-old stakes that pay tons of money to relatively untested young thoroughbreds, culminating in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Juvenile Filly races, which have purses of over $1 million each.  I'd prefer to see the bigger purses reserved for older horses that have proven their mettle over years of competition and, in the process, demonstrated their soundness.  

I've seen good runners break down on both off tracks and fast tracks, so it's difficult for me to say whether one or the other is harder on horses.  I'm doing research right now on 6 furlong sprint stakes, and what's interested me is that while field size shrinks in graded stakes (the top-level stakes) on muddy tracks, the less prestigious stakes actually draw more runners when the track is something other than fast.  

This might lead me to believe that the top trainers believe that their runners shouldn't race on off tracks, which would in turn make me believe that off tracks are more harmful.  But I haven't actually discussed the topic with any of the top trainers, so I can't say for certain that that's their thinking.

Anyway, I hope that helps.  Good luck with the research project.

- Mark Shrager

Answer
Hi again, Mel -

I believe what causes horses to break down during a race is probably undiscovered injuries that they have when they enter the starting gate.  I don't know whether you've been following the recent controversy about Smarty Jones and whether he could have raced in the Breeders' Cup, but apparently he was retired due to microfractures in all four legs that, according to his trainer, could have been treated and cured in time for him to race again - if not in the Breeders' Cup, then at least at age 4.  The microfractures were disclosed when Smarty Jones was X-rayed after the Triple Crown races.

Smarty Jones is lucky, since he's earned plenty of money, which allowed his trainer to take the X-rays that disclosed the microfractures.  Most horses don't get X-rays - their trainer looks at their legs and maybe runs a hand over them to detect any unusual heat or swelling, and if the trainer doesn't find anything visually or by touch, the horse goes into the race.  If there's something the trainer doesn't catch and it's serious enough, the horse might "take a bad step" (that always seems to be the post-breakdown explanation) and breaks down.

That would be my explanation, anyway.  I hope that helps.

Yours -

Mark Shrager