ish the race" ("Horse Racing: A Losing Bet", 2002). Winners, however, are not exempt from mistreatment. Owning a thoroughbred racehorse can cost, on average, $30,000 annually. If the horse is not placing in the top five consistently, the racer becomes "a major non-returnable investment" (Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, 2002). Winners also frequently travel up to 36 hours in cramped trailers with no food, water, or rest. The vast majority of thoroughbred racehorses are not consistent winners and they either die young or they are sold to a slaughterhouse for human consumption abroad once they are no longer profitable for the owner. Horse racing is exempt from federal anti-cruelty laws leaving individual states as the protectors of the horse racing industry. Individual states have a stake in the racing industry because the racing industry provides a percentage of every dollar earned, providing large revenues and influence to avoid intervention ("Horse Racing: A Losing Bet", 2002). This is clearly a case of a conflict of interest and acts of animal cruelty are rarely addressed. Currently, horses are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act ("Animal Rights Law", 2002). A f
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