A newly formed organization that hopes to garner public support for an eventual ban on horse slaughter in the United States announced Oct. 28 two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito would be the group’s national spokesperson.

Gathered underneath the umbrella of the National Horse Protection Coalition are horse industry leaders, organizations, and equine and animal protection groups.

During a press conference at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, Zito, who won the Derby with Strike the Gold in 1991 and Go for Gin in 1994, said he was astounded to learn that each year roughly 42,000 horses are killed in U.S. slaughterhouses.

“It’s not a Democratic or Republican issue,” Zito said. “It’s an American issue. Think if some of those horses could have been saved