It's bad for the horses and the sport if in every race you figure there's a good chance of a horse dying. I think horses like to run; it's in their genes. But more careful breeding and training needs to be done. I don't think it would be a bad idea if horses did not race until 4 years of age, rather than 3. Because the official Thoroughbred birthday is Jan. 1, some of these horses are probably closer to 2 real years old than 3. By pushing the stakes races back to 4 years, the horses might be sturdier and more able to withstand the rigors of racing.

Changing the track surface may help. The way poor Eight Belles broke her ankles suggests a very sudden stop. I don't know if she stepped in a hole or the jockey pulled her up too fast, or what.