The death of filly Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby has hit the horse racing industry hard this year. Animal rights activists have been up in arms over the cruelty that horses endure to become racers. This is not a new thing; animal lovers have been putting pressure on the racing industry for years. Horse racing has attempted to correct and improve whatever they can, but the dangerous Sport of Kings still has to improve a great deal if it’s going to continue to be accepted in mainstream society.

Improvements have been made to running to surfaces, although this technology is only in its infancy with only a handful of tracks now running synthetic surfaces. But that’s only one aspect of the industry that needs to be addressed. More concern is arising over the breeding practices in thoroughbred racing. Many believe they are leading to degenerative problems in new offspring.

If you’re up to the challenge, Big Brown is attempting to make history at the Belmont Stakes by becoming only the 12th horse in the history of American thoroughbred racing to win the Triple Crown. Bet on Big Brown to win.

1.   http://triplecrownracing.blogspot.com - this blog spot is completely dedicated to horse racing. Lots of coverage of races and opinions on everything related to the industry. Bloggers offer up lots of picks and opinions on current issues.

2.   http://thoro-stats.blogspot.com/ - offers handicapping applications for the thoroughbreds, many of them free. There is also lots of info on industry events and developments.

3.  http://virtualracing.blogspot.com - this spot is for bloggers who race virtual horses. These horses are trained and raced by you. You can also bet on other owners’ horses and get tips on how to build your own winner.

4.  http://www.4-horse-racing.com/wordpress/ - all kinds of different racing opinions and helpful information on this blog spot. It’s also a great spot for news and betting information.

5.  http://superfectablog.blogspot.com/ - a very informative blog spot with a large archive of topics to choose from. There is lots of industry news, and the site also has a list of other related blogs.