I lived and travelled in China for two years during the mid-1980s. It was a fascinating time to be in that countryÑafter decades of isolation, China finally was opening its doors to the West. Evident everywhere, though, was an almost total lack of regard for animal welfare. From Kashgar in the west, where I saw shop after shop selling pelts from endangered snow leopards; to the live animal markets and bizarre snake restaurant in Guangzhou; to the debate about opening a dog restaurant in the hotel where I lived, concern for the lot of animals was far off the Chinese radar. A more recent campaign to wipe out rabies by the wholesale killing of every dog, pet or otherwise, in some Chinese cities suggests that the sentiment hasn’t changed much.

With this background, I viewed with some trepidation a recent fact-finding visit to Kentucky by Chinese officials looking to revive horse racing in the Middle Kingdon. Horse racing is thriving in Hong Kong, where the industry is fueled by an insatiable appetite for gambling. On a recent day at Sha Tin, a sprawling racetrack complex in Kowloon, for example, the $2.5-million Hong Kong Cup and several other million-dollar-plus races were run