[Riot]

PETA is fairly well-known nowadays for what they really are, and if they don't continue to get publicity this week they'll take the money they can grab and run. They don't pay for a presence in DC, and they don't really care about any animals, changing any laws, etc. They just want the money.

If this backs off a bit, dies in the public eye, and people don't send in donations, they won't even bother to be at Pimlico. Nobody should bother to talk to PETA.

On the other hand, a worry to horse racing would be the Humane Society of the United States. They just keyed in on the Eight Belles incident as a money-making opportunity this week, too, and now are thinking they may want a place at the table if they can slip in.

Please note that HSUS doesn't actually "help" any real animals, either, they exist to get restrictive animal laws passed across the country - no hunting, everything must be neutered, no purebred dog breeding allowed, etc. Pretty much strictly lobbyists.

Their President, Wayne Purcell, is very photogenic and literate in public, and this organization throws alot of smart money towards lobbying efforts. But HSUS is also an animal rights organization (not animal welfare). You can google Wayne Purcell and see where his heart really lays, in discussing animals (none should be owned).

HSUS works by approaching towns or cities as a "friend of animals" and suggesting laws that sound pretty good on the outside, but upon closer examination work against ownership of animals.

The American Kennel Club has spent alot of money fighting HSUS laws over the past few years. The dog people are already visualizing and talking about the probable HSUS attack on racing, and talking about how they can help to stop it (very organized anti-HSUS groups in many states now, due to the many laws HSUS has been trying to pass against dog ownership and purebred dogs)

HSUS is also still trying to explain it's horrendous behaviour after raising thousands and thousands of dollars to "save animals" during Katrina, but not doing anything and keeping the money.

I would worry hardly at all about PETA, but very much about HSUS.

Because while PETA is visually nuts, HSUS is very smooth, literate and cooperative. HSUS could get a law passed banning whipping horses on the race track at a state government level, and keep it private in committee until it's passed through the state senate/reps (added on to some other weird bill) - and racing would never know until afterwards.