The Shady Side Of Churchill Downs

Sometimes, the horse racing world runs afoul of basic human rights. Such was the case in 2021, when Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, entered a horse in the Kentucky Derby amid a public outcry over the whereabouts of his then-missing daughter, Sheikha Latifa. What's more, the sheik's horse – Essential Quality – was favored to win the prestigious race. This drew additional international attention to the troubling politics of Sheikh Mohammed's family life.

In 2000, the sheik's older daughter, Sheikha Shamsa, left Dubai for a new life in England. But men working for her father abducted her from the streets and returned her to the Middle East, where, as of 2023, she remains imprisoned and sedated. Then, in 2018, Sheikha Latifa attempted to flee by boat. She, too, was captured and imprisoned. At the time of the 2021 Kentucky Derby, her whereabouts were unknown and many Americans were demanding answers.

On April 28, 2021 – days before the Derby – a group of Kentucky-based human rights lawyers and students lodged a formal complaint, requesting that the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ban Sheikh Mohammed and Essential Quality from competing in the Kentucky Derby. Just one day later, the Commission dismissed the complaint, claiming no regulations were violated. Of course, the fact that the wealthy sheik spends millions on Kentucky's thoroughbred industry every year certainly didn't hurt his case. Essential Quality ran in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, placing fourth.

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