As a Thoroughbred owner, I stand on the shoulders of giants. Horse racing's tradition and history are like no other. However, in the past 30 years, we've been surpassed by the major sports leagues.

Recently as I re-read some of the late humorist Frank Sullivan's pieces, I thought what a shame it was that this gifted writer never turned his sights on horse racing, a sport he loved.

It is what we owners and breeders fear the most. A call from a farm employee, trainer, or vet with that oddly familiar, awkward tone foretelling the bad news we have lost one of our horses. Or, perhaps even worse, in the moment of excitement and anticipation of competition, one of our horses goes down on the track or falls over a jump.

Cold lies the heart of Thoroughbred racing following Eight Belles' untimely end after Kentucky Derby 134. The dark side of the toughest game in town showed itself once again on the national stage, this time in the nation's biggest race.