The speed, the thrill, the adrenaline rush of seeing a thoroughbred stomp as the ground beneath shakes from their power — it is a special feeling. To see the majestic thoroughbreds who are the lifeblood of the horse-racing world. And yet, how the dark picture of that industry hides in plain sight. Yes, PETA has once again dropped a reminder as we get ready for the Belmont Stakes on June 7.
The Saratoga Race Course is ready to witness the rematch between Journalism and Sovereignty. What makes this special? After all, it’s the Kentucky Derby winner vs. the Preakness Stakes winner. Each horse has taken a Triple Crown race. And now they are in the 8-horse field of the 2025 Belmont Stakes, the last Triple Crown race of the year. But don’t get distracted from the real headlines, is what PETA argues. According to the organization, horses are dying because of the thoughtless glorification of Triple Crown races. The crux of their argument is that the sport has fostered an inhumane culture to continue in the name of tradition. PETA also posted a call to action, urging better regulations in the sport.
On June 6, PETA shared a message for its followers on Twitter. It said, “As the @BelmontStakes is tomorrow, know that people are betting on horses’ lives Join us in urging U.S. racetracks to adopt these simple regulations to protect horses & save their lives ”. PETA shared a link that listed out their manifesto with 12 recommendations. According to PETA, these are simple changes geared towards preserving a thoroughbred’s quality of life.
The animal rights organization dropped a harrowing statistic as we brace for the Belmont Stakes: “Every year, horseracing keeps piling up more victims. More than 100 Thoroughbreds have died on New York State racetracks since 2024,” which also matched the data on horse deaths recorded by the State of New York. PETA’s solution? “Don’t watch, attend, or bet on this year’s Belmont Stakes while horses are still getting injured and killed!”
As the @BelmontStakes is tomorrow, know that people are betting on horses’ lives
Join us in urging U.S. racetracks to adopt these simple regulations to protect horses & save their lives https://t.co/vi7gxibI5r pic.twitter.com/GzbW1fAVsY
— PETA (@peta) June 6, 2025
The 12 directives listed out in the link, if followed, were aimed to make horse racing more ethical and holistic for all parties. And it’s most important for the thoroughbreds who are pushed to their limits. The directives are: 1. Ban all medications for two weeks before a race; 2. Allow horses who are injured or sore sufficient time to recuperate before they are trained or raced; 3. Install cutting-edge CT scan equipment at all tracks; 4. Replace dirt tracks with high-quality synthetic Tapeta; 5. Ban trainers who have multiple medication infractions or harm horses in other ways; 6. Ban whipping.
These rules are directed right at the problems that plague the industry. Let’s not forget how legendary trainer Bob Baffert’s Havnameltdown had to be euthanized in May 2020 ahead of the Preakness Stakes. As per Salon, the necropsy found significant pre-existing injuries and severe pathological red flags. Dr. Kate Papp, who did the examination, said it “was only a matter of time” before the unfortunate incident had to happen for sure. And then there’s the fact that since 2000, over 70 horses in his care have died in California, making him the trainer with the highest fatality rate per race among the state’s top trainers.
There were more directives shared by PETA: “7. Eliminate timed sprints at 2-year-old–in–training auctions; 8. Be transparent; 9. Don’t sell horses to foreign racing entities that routinely send them to slaughter; 10. Take care of horses when their racing days are over; 11. Conduct mandatory, unannounced, frequent, and random out-of-competition testing; 12. Require that a central pharmacy at racetracks control medication use.”
And with an unfortunate incident already having taken place at the Belmont Stakes, PETA’s warnings ring louder.
A Tragic End at the 2025 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival
Everyone is understandably focused on the star showdown at the 2025 Belmont Stakes, so the death of Whatlovelookslike drew comparatively less attention. Running in race 9 on Wednesday, June 4, the Todd Pletcher-trained 6-year-old mare sustained an injury to the right hind. Whatlovelookslike was taken to the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital for evaluation.
And it was further bad news, which ended with the loss of yet another thoroughbred. As per Horse Racing Nation, “Although surgery was considered, a CT scan on Thursday revealed severe fractures to the right-hind condyle, pastern and sesamoid. The extent and complicated nature of the injuries did not allow for surgical intervention. As a result, and upon the recommendation of attending veterinarians, Whatlovelookslike was humanely euthanized at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital.”
Credits: Instagram/Belmont Stakes
PETA’s complaints have long been voiced by others who have seen the issues firsthand. Like Elizabeth Banicki, who quit the industry because of practices that the PETA has tried to curb with the 12 directives. Banicki already talked about how 2- or 3-year-old horses are not mature enough physically to handle the workload of rigorous training. On top of that, she pointed out that thoroughbreds were given drugs to mask their pain, thereby causing critical damage to their legs and joints.
“Joint injections in the ankles, knees and/or hocks of a two- or three-year-old, following a year of high-intensity training and racing which repeatedly brought that horse to the brink of its capacity, is not therapy. The purpose is not to heal or to improve quality of life. The real goal is to temporarily boost performance to make a profit and gain prestige,” she wrote in The Guardian.
But for now, the 2025 Belmont Stakes is set to commence within hours, amidst the ethical dilemmas raised from different corners.
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