Secretariat Actor Urges The Jockey Club to Stop Slaughter of Racehorses

With the Kentucky Derby behind us, many people are now betting on whether or not Animal Kingdom, the winner of the Derby, has what it takes to win the Triple Crown. Others are saving their gambling for the poker table, and are instead thinking about the future of the horses.

Secretariat actor James Cromwell is one of those who are truly rooting for the horses. Cromwell has recently written to The Jockey Club urging it to adopt PETA's Thoroughbred 360 Lifecycle Retirement Fund.

PETA's proposed program would require horse owners to contribute $360 every time they register a new horse, and these fees would fund the care of retired racehorses. The fund could generate over 20 million dollars a year, and would be, as Ecorazzi put it: "like Social Security for horses."

James Cromwell is a superstar for animals. He became a vegan in 1995, during filming of the movie Babe. He has done work for PETA in the past on behalf of pigs, and he also narrated Farm to Fridge, a documentary by Mercy for Animals.

So it's no surprise that Cromwell objects to the treatment of retired racehorses, who are often shipped to Canada and Mexico to horse slaughtering plants. Currently, 10,000 former racehorses are sent to slaughter each year.

"These magnificent animals should not end up on a meat hook after a terrifying journey to a terrifying death," writes Cromwell in his letter. "I urge the Jockey Club, as the only official body that deals with every thoroughbred owner in every racing state, to implement PETA's Thoroughbred 360 Lifecycle Retirement Fund without delay."

Horse racing claims to be a sport for people who love horses, but it's really a sport about money. The most recent Derby winner has barely taken his rose garland off, and already people are speculating on what Animal Kingdom will be worth as a stallion after all the racing is done.

One of Animal Kingdom's owners expressed doubts of the horse's worth: “In order for [Animal Kingdom] to really be worth a lot of money, he’s got to go on and do something more than just winning the Derby ... he doesn’t have a fashionable pedigree. So he’s got to become a phenomenal racehorse in order to become worth a whole lot of money.”

If Animal Kingdom doesn't win the Triple Crown, he won't be worth a lot of money as a stallion, and his heroic efforts on the track could be rewarded with a trip to the slaughterhouse. The winner of the Kentucky Derby brings home over a million dollars, but that hasn't stopped past Derby winners from ending up on the literal chopping block.

Thoroughbreds deserve better, and it's time for the horse racing industry to change their tack. Sign the petition to ask the The Jockey Club to adopt PETA's Thoroughbred 360 Lifecycle Retirement Fund.

Photo Credit: rogerbarker