Getting your player ready...
When Suffolk Downs in Boston decided to ban from its backstretch those who sell their horses for slaughter, the goal was to save a few animals. Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito said he is entering speedy 7-year-old Commentator in Saturday’s Massachusetts Handicap in part because of the track’s stance against slaughtering horses. “It’s a big issue in our industry,” Zito said. “That’s one of the reasons we like the people up there.” Slaughter has always been one possible ending for thoroughbreds, but it became a bigger issue five years ago when it was discovered that 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand had probably been rendered into pet food. The Associated Press
