It’s the ‘sport of kings,’ the sport that carries a royal prestige even to this day. But that’s not all horse racing is about. The thrill, the excitement, the riches that this sport offers—it’s one of the best feelings in the world to be a part of it, whether you’re a trainer, a jockey, a fan, or whatever. And we couldn’t have this experience without our equine companions, could we?
They are the ones who get our adrenaline flowing. Their power, their speed, and their elegance are the cornerstone of this sport. As legendary jockey Chris McCarron once said, speaking about the thoroughbreds that he saddles, “It’s exhilarating; the feeling of power underneath you is incredible.” Yes, they are beautiful creations that make our lives more exciting. And we owe it to them that their existence is as enjoyable and meaningful as possible.
That is exactly what another iconic jockey, Mike Smith, is saying as he advocates for Carma’s initiatives to give the thoroughbreds a better life after horse racing. FanDuel Racing shared a post on X on August 16 to extend a helping hand to Carma, a non-profit established to help retired California Thoroughbred racehorses. The caption of the tweet read, “Let’s work together to raise $150,000 to support @CARMAcares—an organization that helps retired racehorses transition to new careers.” With that, they also shared a link where fans can make their donations.
Well, we do love our Sovereignties and Journalisms. These horses are the focus of our attention, the ones making the headlines, the ones we are cheering for, but only as long as they are running full throttle on the racetracks. As soon as their racing careers are over, we often end up pushing our prized horses to obscurity.
And that’s exactly what Hall of Famer Mike Smith is asking us not to do. “These horses give us everything. As a matter of fact, everything I have is because of a horse … They can be used for so many other different things, dressage, jumping, all kinds of sorts of things.” And even if it’s not another ‘employment’ that can be provided for the horse, the 4-time Breeders’ Cup Classic champion thinks it’s fulfilling enough for an owner to get “a chance just to feed them for the rest of their life.” The Breeders’ Cup icon said, “They deserve it.”
It’s CARMAthon time!
Let’s work together to raise $150,000 to support @CARMAcares—an organization that helps retired racehorses transition to new careers.
Donate here: https://t.co/S8IfV3thDf pic.twitter.com/YlIK8nDEXk
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) August 16, 2025
And it was not just him. In the adjacent video shared by FanDuel Racing, joining him were other trainers like Ron Ellis, Dan Blacker, Carla Gaines, and Jeff Mullins, who spoke about the right of these horses to a second life after the races. Blaker even praised Carma for the work they are doing. Both Gaines and Mullins focused on giving these noble athletes a second life that is enjoyable and nice.
Hopefully, the prominent voices of Mike Smith and others will reach the horse racing community. We have to give back to our beloved horses the joy and safety that they so very deserve. Because many don’t even get to reach their next chapter after racing.
The other gloomy side of horse racing
After horse racing, there are many paths on offer for a runner. The Champion horses mostly get the responsibility of breeding future Champions. The other options are Showing, Eventing, Dressage, Polo, and Showjumping etc. But none of these will be an option for Imperial Hint, the 12-year-old colt, who had to be euthanized just a few days ago following his lengthy struggle with Laminitis.
Being a Saratoga record holder, he has sired other Stakes winners, TDZ Hint of Power and Stakes-placed Sweet Morgan Leigh. But his journey has been cut short. But he is not the only one. Aterradora was just 3 years old when she had to be euthanized after a slab fracture she picked up during her Grade 3 Lake George race.
There’s one side of horse racing where we see unbelievable feats of speed and power being performed by these young speedsters. But in this rat race, many also lose their precious lives. It makes us wonder how enjoyable it really is for these majestic animals and the risk they take on our behalf.
Another painful story is of Setting Sun. She was only two years old when she suffered multiple fractures while running the ninth race at Saratoga on August 5. She also had to be euthanized, as the grim underbelly of horse racing exposed the brutal toll the sport can take on its athletes.
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