January 6, 2012 wasn’t a particularly special day at Aqueduct. The fourth race that day was a state-bred maiden race for fillies and mares, four and up. It was won by Cedar Island, a horse that only ran one more race after that. In fact, about half the field retired from racing never having won a race. I guess they were the lucky ones.

It also represented the debut for a horse named Eva Lil. Eva Lil ran 6th that day, and in 34 subsequent races has never been closer than four and a half lengths. She’s run on a wet track, she’s run on the turf, she’s run sprints, she’s run routes and the only thing those races have in common is that she lost each one. In fact, Eva Lil has never been closer than four and a half lengths behind the winner at the wire, and that was just one time. For the first half of her “career” she was trained by David J. Smith, not a household name and not considered a top trainer by anyone. She’s now trained by Leslie Hinds who is no better when it comes to conditioning horses. It’s hard to know how good the horse would be with a first rate conditioner, but she currently looks as if she is more likely to end her career with a zero in the win column than a positive digit.

She ran in today’s first race at Aqueduct, finishing fifth (which also turned out to be last) by about 21 lengths. She got the obligatory early call, but was out of it before the horses hit the far turn.

Most trainers take great care of their horses, and I have no reason to suspect that David Smith or Leslie Hinds are any different in that regard. What is clear is that if I had a horse there is zero chance either one of them would make my trainer short list. Whatever it is that makes David Jacobson or Rudy Rodriguez successful claiming trainers, those two simply don’t have it.

Does that mean they should have their license pulled? No, they are welcome to train as long as they abide by the rules and find people to give them horses. Of course I’d have to wonder why anyone would entrust their thoroughbred to either of them, but I suppose not every owner is in the game to win races.

Two things struck me today. First, I couldn’t imagine spending 50 cents on the horse in any bet. I’d have rather punched in all the numbers except hers rather than hit the “all” button. Second, why is this horse still allowed to run at the better New York tracks? In my opinion it borders on the cruel to keep this horse on the track. As someone quipped today, I don’t know what she’s interested in but it clearly isn’t racing. In 34 races she’s banked a little over $17,000, meaning she is averaging $500 a start. Since she probably eats like a horse, it’s not likely Eva Lil is pulling her own weight. She hasn’t gone off at less than 17-1, and if she ever wins a race (say the entire field falls down and she is so far back she can just step around them) she’ll pay triple digits and still be an underlay. I want to meet someone who actually bet on the horse to win and ask them what in the world they were thinking.

There are plenty of places this horse could run and maybe even catch some purses. To put her in a race in New York, even at Aqueduct at the start of the winter meet, diminishes the racing product. I realize the racing secretary can’t make every field high quality, but there must be enough low-price NY-breds that it wouldn’t be necessary to use Eva Lil to fill a field.

This kind of thing is a black eye for racing in New York and all it accomplishes is to make those cynical about racing more cynical. Apparently, since she finished fifth she will be allowed to race again next year. Enough is enough. If she can’t legally be ruled off the track and if the trainer and owner really care about the horse they should look for a second career as a stable pony or a hunter/jumper or a pleasure horse for a caring owner. Or maybe give the horse to a trainer that can coax a win out of her. Or possibly get her to a track where she can race against horses with a similar talent level to hers. Arapahoe Park should have space next summer. Horses may not have the same psychological feelings of defeat that a human would have in the same position, but being herd animals they do have an instinct for when they are being left behind as mountain lion bait. Get her off the track before she becomes another break-down statistic.

Someone needs to be looking out for Eva Lil. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the owner, trainer or Aqueduct are.