Genome-wide studies
There is a reason for that. Finding a specific gene responsible for racing performance "takes a lot of work and a lot of time," says Steven Tammariello, the lead geneticist for Lexington-based Performance Genetics. "Ultimately, it may not be that useful." It also costs a lot of money.
Instead, companies rely on genome-wide association studies, which scan for patterns and similarities. For instance, Tammariello looked at 65,127 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in hundreds of horses, half of which were winners of elite races. In that search, he found 12 SNPs that associated with the best horses. These SNPs are the basis for any tests Performance Genetics conducts; it looks to see what alleles each tested horse possesses at these 12 locations. The more the horse has in common with a champion, the better it scores.
As for the "speed gene" Tammariello, also an associate professor of biology at Binghamton University in New York State, dismisses the prominence Hill accords it. "We found three other places that are also very important to distinguishing a sprinter from a route runner." And forget about it as an indicator for speed. "I owned two sprinters. I know they had the CC polymorphism, and they were terrible. It has nothing to do with the class of the horse," he says.
Dav Doodnauth, an MD and CEO of LifeLine Labs in Lexington, also uses genome-wide association studies to produce his "Pegasus Profiles." The internal medicine specialist says myostatin plays only a minor role in his analysis. "I don't think there is necessarily one area of the genome that's going to tell you everything about performance," Doodnauth says. Human athletic performance involves interactions of some 220 genes; the situation is likely to be the same in horses. "Myostatin markers are just a handful of the makers that we look at," he notes.
The Genetic Edge's Binns, who also published a research paper laying claim to the myostatin finding about a year after Hill did, says half of the 10 or so Kentucky Derby winners his company tested had two copies of the sprint version of the myostatin gene. One horse had two copies of the endurance version of the gene, and the rest had one copy of each. (He wouldn't say which winner had which combination.) His analysis: The "speed gene" isn't the sole determinant of Derby victory. "I think you get into difficult water if you base your breeding program on one gene," he says.
Nor will studying a horse's build and posture reveal what genes tell, Binns says. "You can't see these markers," he adds. "The best looker in the world cannot see these markers."
Other "silver bullets"
If the notion of a genome laid bare is enticing to some breeders and buyers, it's worrisome to those who have watched other technologies become the newest new thing.
"Everybody's looking for the silver bullet," says Kerry Cauthen, managing partner of the consignor Four Star Sales in Lexington—a job he says is somewhere between a matchmaker for horse buyers and sellers and the person who authenticates paintings at Sotheby's. He's seen such purported silver bullets before. Two examples: sometime in the 1990s, shoppers began demanding x-rays for any horse they considered buying. Whereas this was a useful tool in some cases, in others it led buyers to eliminate animals unnecessarily from consideration, Cauthen says. For instance, when an x-ray showed osteochondritis, or a split in the cartilage, in the hock—on a horse's hind leg, analogous to our ankle—buyers would lose interest, and good horses lost value. "It just tanked a sale. This horse is now worth a quarter or half of what he had been," Cauthen says. But osteochondritis is common in young animals, and often has no impact on a horse's training and performance, as later evidence showed.
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Add CommentGenetics make sense on paper, but all the science goes out the window when the horses leave the starting gate.My pick is “I’ll Have Another” – both in the race and when it comes to the Mint Juleps. But Is the Mint Julep the “Peeps” of cocktails? “Think about it. They’re booth sickeningly-sweet, consumed on only one day of the year and then actively avoided for the remaining 364. You be the judge. Here are my four favorite vintage Mint Julep recipes: http://thevodkaparty.com/the-mint-julep-is-it-the-peeps-of-cocktails/
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBeing at the races, watching these magnificent animals do what they are born to do is a wonderful experience.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut:
If you have ever taken a close, behind the scenes look at horse racing you will undoubtedly conclude that it is cruelty to animals.
These horses are so terribly inbred for the ultimate in speed and endurance that they are fragile and temperamental. They break down far too often and must be put down. They do not make good saddle horses and I don't want to mention what happens to those who are slow or old.
I'm not against exploitation of animals per se but having seen what frequently happens behind the scenes I stopped going to the races.
This genetic testing is just one more example of the way that these animals are used, abused, and cast aside if they do not measure up.
1) Horse Racing is a closed system. To race at the Kentucky Derby (Triple Crown race number one) the horse must be a registerd thorougbred. A thorougbred traces its ancestry back to 3 Arabian/Turkoman/Barb stallions and English mares in the 17th and 18th centuries. Imagine the 1,500 meters at the Olympics and the only people who could race are 18 year olds of British ancestry. No others may apply.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this2) Only one world record at any distance on turf or dirt was set by a 3 year old (see below). All others are 4 to 7 years old. Why 3 year olds? Because they can breed longer. Very simple. Everything I have read or heard first hand suggest that 3 year olds are too young and injuries are higher at that age.
http://www.horsehats.com/horse-racing-records.html
3) I have asked many horse folks why they race. Answer: to improve the breed. Who cares.
4) Want to have faster horses and more variety. Try modern genetics, modern training methods with cross breeding every horse imaginable and limit racing to 4 to 8 year olds. There will be less money in the sport, but I personally would love to watch an Apaloosa/QuarterHorse/Arabian hybrid, for example clobber the thoroughbreds.
5) I am not a horse expert. Having said that I don't believe there is much that I have written above that is too far off base. I would love to have an unbiased horse expert comment to see if my suggestions make any sense. Maybe they don't, but in a few hours I'll be glued to the television to watch the Kentucky Derby anyway, hoping for the new Secretariat, no injuries and a fun race.
Seems they are late to the party. Genetics have been
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisemployed for quite some time on all kinds of creatures.
It is the future of all living things we consume. Perhaps
genetics will help to rid the world of inherited diseases and conditions in both humans and animals. That would
represent real progress in the evolution we have out
grown through technology and medicine.
I think research in genetics could only make horse racing better for the horses. If it was utilized more often, maybe breeders wouldn't have to produce so many horses. They could focus on producing a few genetically superior foals instead of playing more of a guessing game. One of the biggest problems in the industry is the overpopulation of horses. The ones who aren't worth as much end up in slaughter houses because thoroughbreds aren't good for much but racing. If there were fewer horses, fewer horses would meet a fate in the processing plant. Maybe by making the breed better, there would be fewer casualties. I don't know, I'm trying to see the positive side of this. There are definitely some things about the racing industry that need to change. I'm not disputing that at all, but progress being made and I think this genetic research could potentially help. I really hope it does.
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