My husband and I had the great privilege of breeding G1W and Breeders' Cup Champion Battle of Midway, selling him as a yearling at the 2015 Saratoga sale and watching him grow into a fierce competitor. Those who watched him go in hand-to-hand combat against top miler Sharp Azteca in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile or outduel McKinzie in the 2019 G2 San Pasqual were inspired by his ability to dig in. He had given our family much, he had given his owners Don Alberto Corporation and WinStar Farm much, and he had given his fans much with his fighting spirit and inspiring memories. Now, in his memory, he needs us to give back to the industry by making it better where we can.

Battle of Midway died in a training accident on February 23rd, 2019 at Santa Anita, during a a fatality spike in a difficult winter season besieged with extreme rains and a racetrack that struggled to keep horses safe on a surface designed to handle extreme dry and hot Southern California climate but overwhelmed with repeated soaking, sealing and unsealing. Instead of heading to the Middle East for the Dubai World Cup that he earned an invitation to and likely would have been one of the favorites for, I went on to write eulogies, take interviews about his life, and search for what may have gone wrong and if there are ways for our industry to do better by the horses and, by extension, by the industry as a whole.

In the weeks after the accident, many questions were asked. Some had answers, but many more led to more questions. It was clear that, while other horses were part of the fatality spike, Battle of Midway became Ground Zero for a public and animal rights group outcry and subsequent scrambling by the industry to respond to the public attention appropriately. Track management scrambled to maintain the racetrack among questions and eventually chose to shut the track down for prolonged thorough evaluation and renovations. Trainers had to find alternate places to train and run, horses on the tightly scheduled Kentucky Derby prep trail went to other tracks as important prep races were canceled or postponed at Santa Anita. Legislators and a DA became involved. New procedures were put in place to check horses even more thoroughly before races and breezes. New rules were introduced dealing with race-day medications and whip use. Virtually unthinkable due to fervent industry support for Lasix use to combat EIPH, even a coalition of 20 racetracks decided to wade into the debate by adopting a phase-out of Lasix race-day use. The "I am Racing" public relations campaign was launched to highlight the importance of the racing industry on people's lives. In the weeks and months to come, there will be more debates and more changes. Some will need to be pushed back a little, some will stick, and a need for other changes will still be identified. In my conversations since February 23rd, I and others have identified some issues to work on. Some will be best dealt with by listening to each other and agreeing on solutions. Others may need legislative solutions to keep us all on the same page and have proper enforcement standards. Let the conversations for improvement go on:

1. National commission to oversee standards throughout USA
2. Surface safety and management protocols
3. Diagnostic tools to identify horses at risk
4. Breeding practices
5. Sales preparation practices
6. Trainer programs and choices
7. Availability of information for better decision making
8. Medication rules and practices
9. Veterinary practices and records
10. Injury prevention
11. Injury repair, surgery recovery, and injury rehabilitation
12. Backside worker and rider education
13. Trust between trainers and track management
14. Owner education and responsibility
15. Sales practices
16. Legislation and its role in guidance and enforcement
17. Public relations
18. After-care options

The Battle Forward initiative was started in an effort to bring diverse people, ideas and existing initiatives together. There are many excellent organizations in place already, and this initiative is designed to complement and bring out the best of what already exists, identify what is missing, and put in place initiatives that can improve the breed going forward. There is less of one single magic bullet than there are multiple opportunities at each part of a racehorse's path through life for us to improve what we do and how we do it. 

In honor of the horse whose death I wish I didn't need to mourn, let's work together to make the industry the best it can be. The horses deserve no less, just as is the case for the people who depend on the industry for their livelihood, passion and purpose. Let's go Battle Forward...

Pavla Nygaard

Thor-Bred Stables LLC