That said, horsemen and jockeys need to be reminded that the first line of defense at preventing another Life At Ten episode begins with them. While the rights and protections of jockeys and horsemen are always of critical importance, it should be reinforced to them and every other segment of the racing industry that the rights of the betting public come first.

When we were pulling up Frankie [Dettori] was the only other jockey near me, and he shouted: "I’ve never seen anything like that."

Somehow, the sport has to find a way to improve its betting product, because a time bomb is ticking. The United States is struggling this year with a horse shortage because only about 32,000 foals were born in 2008 – the current crop of 3-year-olds. In 2011, the Jockey Club estimates the size of the foal crop at 24,900, so there will be no escape from the horse-population crisis in the next several years. It seems almost inevitable that fields will get smaller and horseplayers will wager even less." -- Andrew Beyer, in a recent column for DRF.

It worries me that the three-year old horse population is dropping even as it seems that dominant three-year old horses seem to have have become rarer. Shouldn't it be easier for an elite horse to come out of a smaller crowd?

Racing, despite its many problems, is a wonderful sport; one in which we can escape, whether through the love of the horse, the thrill of riding, the art of training, or the intoxicating stimulation provided by handicapping and gambling.

"I called the Breeders’ Cup people after he won the Mount Rainier Handicap, and they told me it would take $230,000 to get him eligible," Harwood said. "We have to work for a living."

And never forget, no matter how good they are, no matter what they've done, no matter what accolades they've won--Man o' War, Citation, Kelso, Dr. Fager, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, John Henry, Cigar--sooner or later they all get beat.

Well, almost all of them.

Jay Hovdey, DRF