According to numerous sources close to high-level horse racing, selective breeding of thoroughbred horses – in which only the supposed “best” males are matched with the “best” females – is widespread in the sport.

            But few in horse racing are willing to acknowledge the sport is infected with the same sort of thinking that infected Nazi Germany.

            “The Nazis sought to breed a master race that would rule over the rest of the world and they tried to expunge those it did not view as ‘pure,’ or those who had physical or mental deformities and frailties,” said Dr. Elliot Hersch, a professor of German history at Harvard. “Thankfully, those that held this viewpoint were defeated in World War II and the vast majority of the world has come to view such thinking as despicable. But in the years since, the horse racing community has taken up the banner of selective breeding, and this evil practice has permeated every level of the sport.”

            Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is just the latest example of selective breeding in action. His bloodlines boast an abundance of former champions. His sire is Dynaformer, who is so prestigious that he has a $100,000 stud fee. His mother is La Ville Rouge, daughter of Carson City, and his grandsire is Roberto, a former European champion. Many of his cousins and siblings have also won races.

            “You can’t blame Barbaro for his background,” said Hersch. “He can’t help where he comes from. But it’s also hard not to look at him and see pure evil. He may not be responsible for the introduction of selective breeding, but he surely is capitalizing on its existence.”

            Because of the sport’s racist culture, horses without a “pure” background are unable to compete at the highest level. And those that are champions are often forced by their handlers into servitude as a stud.

            “Triple Crown racing is designed to showcase the best and fastest horses in the world,” said Hersch. “But unless a horse is bred from other past champions, it is not even considered for a future in racing. This develops a class system in which only thoroughbreds are afforded the premier opportunities while those in the ‘lower’ classes suffer through lifetimes of pulling plows or giving little kids rides at carnivals – very degrading jobs.”

            Until the general public recognizes what is happening right under their noses and demands the practice be put to an end, horse racing will continue to capitalize on the heinous act.

            “Breeding a super race of horses is no better than trying to do the same with humans,” said Hersch. “If it is accepted with horses, what’s to say it won’t spread elsewhere? Soon will we have the likes of Serena Williams and Dirk Nowitzki breeding super-human athletes? And then it will be one step away from the Nazi dream of a super-race. We must put a stop to it now and open horse racing to horses of every background – Clydesdales, ponies, mules. It is the only right thing to do.”