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Horse racing is a sport that’s often portrayed as elegant, refined and civilized. But behind the romanticized facade of Thoroughbreds wearing colorful silks and sipping mint juleps lies a world of injuries, drug abuse and, in too many cases, death.

Five deaths on the day of the Kentucky Derby and more than 40 over the course of last year’s Santa Anita meet forced a reckoning with animal welfare in racing. The industry has responded with new rules and more rigorous medical testing of horses, both at the track and during training, as well as a flood of technological advances that make it possible to detect health problems early. Thermal imaging cameras can spot overheating; MRI scanners, endoscopes and X-ray machines can identify minor injuries and ailments; and 3D printing can produce casts and splints.

But the reality is that horses will always be at risk of injury and even death, especially when they’re forced to race on tracks that are crowded with other, larger horses whose movements could injure them. Despite these advances, there are simply too many horses that will break down during races and, in some cases, will die from their wounds or from an inexplicable illness.

That’s why Pacelle, unlike some animal-rights activists, is not calling for a ban on horse racing. He knows that’s unrealistic and would be a slap in the face of America’s rich history of equestrian sports. Instead, he’s working to change the way races are run, especially the biggest and most lucrative ones that attract the most attention and money.

Among other changes, he’s supporting a bill to require that all races be run on tracks with more space between them. That would reduce the likelihood of collisions, which are the leading cause of race-day injuries for horses. He’s also backing a proposal to let trainers select their own jockeys, rather than relying on agents who specialize in obtaining mounts for top horses.

The most important shift, however, is to show that racing truly cares about the athletes who compete in its events. Safety rules and doping guidelines are an excellent start, but the next frontier is addressing breeding practices that may lead to faster horses that are more prone to injuries or other health problems. Until that happens, there will be more deaths at the track and more heartbreak in the stables.

Domino is a small, flat rectangular block used as a game piece or a gambling device. Dominoes come in many colors and are marked with spots or numbers, which are called pips. There are many different ways to play domino, but all involve the use of skill and patience. Dominoes can be set up in a variety of ways to form patterns or shapes, and they are a great tool for teaching kids number recognition and math skills. Dominoes were first developed in China around the 13th century and are cousins to playing cards.

Hevesh’s grandparents gave her a classic 28-pack of dominoes when she was 9 years old, and she loved to arrange them in straight or curved lines before flicking them over and watching the entire sequence fall. Her fascination with dominoes led her to start posting videos of her creations online, and by age 10, her YouTube channel had grown to more than 2 million subscribers.

Dominoes can be made into intricate, mind-boggling designs that are used in games and for art projects. Using a pencil and paper, a domino artist can plan out a dazzling array of layouts, including straight and curved lines, grids that create pictures when they fall, stacked walls, and even 3D structures like pyramids. Artists can also create a timeline to show how a design would go down, and they may even add sound effects to make their work more interesting.

When it comes to storytelling, plotting a story is often like setting up a domino track: Each event must be carefully planned so that it will lead to the next. Considering the domino effect when writing a novel can help writers create an exciting narrative and keep readers engaged.

In Domino, players compete to build the longest chain of dominoes in a limited amount of time. The chains are usually made from a single type of domino, such as double-six, which has one line of six dots on each end. Each player must take turns adding a domino to the chain, positioning it so that it touches a previous domino with a number showing on its face.

Once the domino is placed, the other players try to finish the chain by playing a tile that either has the same number as the last domino or is a multiple of the number of pips on the last domino in the chain. If the chain is completed, the winner is declared.

Dominoes are also commonly used in other types of games, including scoring, blocking, and racing. Some games, such as bergen and muggins, determine points by counting the total number of pips in the losing players’ hands; others, such as chicken foot, Mexican train, and matador, require a player to empty their hand while blocking opponents’ play. Other games, such as double-nine and dominoes, replicate the action of a poker deck, allowing players to bet and win money.