•Thoroughbreds under the age of 3 should not be permitted to race.

•Synthetic surfaces or turf — which result in fewer injuries — should be mandated at all race courses.

•Whipping banned.

A question for the industry pros: How much could these changes really effect our industry negatively?

Number one it has been medically proven that it is good for 2YO horses to race.  It helps them to develop the proper bone structure to keep them sound.  Having said that I do think that we could be a little easier on them at the Two-year-old sales.  There is no reason to work them faster than you would ever ask them to go in a race.

Number two, the whip.  The jocks need the whip as equipment.  Imagine a horse blowing the turn or one that won't switch leads at the top of the stretch.  Used correctly the whip is vital.  FINE jocks who use the whip in the wrong way.

Synthetic surfaces?  All I will say is that pro baseball and football teams thought it would be a good idea to use artificial turf for their athletes.  After many injuries they are no going back to real grass at a huge expense.  I think we need more time and research before we just switch all tracks.

 Just a few thoughts.  Any one else?

synthetics are not the answer and I'll never believe they are...they are a joke IMO ..What about turf? Anyone remember Landseer breaking a leg clean off and waving it for the public to see in the Breeders' Cup Mile over Arlington's pristine turf course earlier this century? BOTTOM LINE: Horses will always get hurt as long as there is racing - regardless of the surface 

taking away whips would only improve our imaghe to the casual fan - but in reality that is no factor to effecting horses and their health IMO..if so, very very minimal instances

The key for me is extending the average racing distance... all of these 6 furlong races through blistering fractions are tough on horses bodies and they need to go... I think we should minimalize that sort of race instead of making it the bread-and-butter races in our industry... we should lengthen the race distance average... there should be MANY more races run at 8-8.5 furlongs and otehr middle distances as there are at 6 furlongs and other sprints IMO

This would also take away from the 2yo in training pounding on these babies because :10 flat from a son of Five Star Day would be meaningless because those types couldn't get the distances of the average races... it would put less emphasis on speed and more on stamina and long-bodied, sounder horses and bloodlines.. afterall, this is throughb red racing - NOT QUARTERHORSE RACING

 plus, wouldn't races that start in front of the grandstands more often be more popular for fans and  the viewing public? Who cares about horses breaking way away from the grandstands in the chute and not being able to see them until they hit the stretch???

 Let's lengthen the average distance of races run in North America... no more of this 5-6 furlong crap in 1:08 and change... it is meaningless to the real purpise of Throughbreds anyway IMO   

I listen to my father talk about the old days when they pushed the horses alot harder.  Could it be that trainers are just too easy on horses today? 

or that the modern day trainer is not the caliber of horsemen that the old timers were? ...it's possible