David Mullins, who operated Doninga Bloodstock agency, died Aug. 18 at Saint Joseph Hospital's hospice center in Lexington after a lengthy illness. He was 51.

"Why are Thoroughbreds not as tough as they used to be?" That is the question of the day, being asked by racing columnists, editors, and punters. It should surprise no one that the answer turns out to involve money.

It is my belief that today's racetrack executives are prone to treating patrons as a commodity. They don't honor the fact that fostered by familiarity and memories of days gone by, most fans have a strong identification with their local tracks. This attitude is not unlike the allegiance that fans often have to their local sports franchise. However, it is a double-edged sword, since the same fans may, at times, be harshly critical and vocal about the problems suffered and mistakes committed by such entities.

Through the HBO documentary "Running for Their Lives" I recently became aware of the pipeline of sending horses from the backstretch to the slaughterhouse. We need to establish a core value system with a policy plan whereby we can expose and eliminate these pipeline participants.