Blog about drug use in racing

[cj]

http://tenoonan.com/2013/12/08/time-for-racing-leaders-to-get-their-heads-out-of-the-sand/

Good read IMO.

[Augenj]

http://tenoonan.com/2013/12/08/time-for-racing-leaders-to-get-their-heads-out-of-the-sand/

Good read IMO.
Ditto here. :ThmbUp:

[Stillriledup]

Does racing HAVE "Leaders" who might want to raise their hands and say "i'm the leader that currently has my head in the sand"?

Who are "Racings leaders" that need to step up and fix things and get their heads out of the sand?

[Augenj]

Does racing HAVE "Leaders" who might want to raise their hands and say "i'm the leader that currently has my head in the sand"?

Who are "Racings leaders" that need to step up and fix things and get their heads out of the sand?
Short of a real national organization, wouldn't that be the state racing boards?

[tzipi]

Shouldn't the time to have done this been about 10 years ago? Well I hope someone does something because it's killing the game. Not sure much will happen though. :(

[Stillriledup]

Shouldn't the time to have done this been about 10 years ago? Well I hope someone does something because it's killing the game. Not sure much will happen though. :(

I think this is essentially the problem, we are asking "someone" to do "something" but who? Who is going to step out of their comfort zone and take the bull by the horns and clean this game of the cheats?

There are too many racing organizations and "racing leaders" who are just saying "who, me?"

[lamboguy]

i like the blog also.

but there are more issues for the bettors than drugged up horses that need some attention.

[cj]

i like the blog also.

but there are more issues for the bettors than drugged up horses that need some attention.


Really? I think the animals should come first.

[Stillriledup]

One of the biggest problems that i see is that all tracks know that larger fields create more betting handle...so, almost all tracks have incentive to make sure that fields are large no matter how they have to do it. The horse does not come first when the people in charge realize that putting the horse first will make field sizes shorter and that will cost them money. Much tighter drug restrictions will make field sizes shorter too and tracks don't want that.

When insiders are able to manipulate drugs and a lot of these horses who get past the vet wouldnt be able to get past without certain treatments, that hurts the bettor who doesnt have inside information. If most horses had to run drug free, it would be tougher (i would imagine) for insiders to essentially "raise the takeout" on people who are betting off replays and PPs.

[Robert Goren]

The horsemen oppose taking any action on drugs and right now nobody is powerful enough to take them on except congress and I doubt if congress will.

[senortout]

It would be a help to put things in proper perspective. Horse racing does not, in general, call for the horses to do something they are not normally capable of doing. Matter of fact, most of them enjoy running.

Compare these 'doable' tasks i.e. running 3/4 of a mile, up to 2 miles, with a daunting endurance test like the Tour de France....where men are asked to do something they are not normally capable of doing without severe distress, and you can begin to understand both the problem of drugging, and the solution to the drug problem. If you give it some thought.

Read the first few paragraphs of this wiki and you will begin to understand both the problem, and the solution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_at_the_Tour_de_France

[Tom]

What about the horses who are asked to do those normal things while they are not fit enough to do them? Like masking the pain that would naturally stop them from exerting themselves?

[DJofSD]

Forget about the reason for the drugs being administered. That just confuses the issue.

Instead, there should be a cap or quota on racing related injuries. If trainer has 2 or more horses that do not finish a race, for any reason, suspend him for a month. If a horse gets injured during a race then is put down or later dies due to the injury, allow him 1 of those a year and any more than 1, suspend his license for a year.

[tzipi]

i like the blog also.

but there are more issues for the bettors than drugged up horses that need some attention.

The bettors have a choice to walk away from this.

[cj]

Forget about the reason for the drugs being administered. That just confuses the issue.

Instead, there should be a cap or quota on racing related injuries. If trainer has 2 or more horses that do not finish a race, for any reason, suspend him for a month. If a horse gets injured during a race then is put down or later dies due to the injury, allow him 1 of those a year and any more than 1, suspend his license for a year.

I'm all for cleaning up the game, but this is way over the top IMO. Horses get injured for lots of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with drugs or being unsound or unfit for racing.

[DJofSD]

I'm all for cleaning up the game, but this is way over the top IMO. Horses get injured for lots of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with drugs or being unsound or unfit for racing.
Sure, I understand. Shoes are thrown, jocks made bad moves, horses spook, there are tangled legs at the break, catastrophic breakdowns which involve many runners, etc., etc.

I posted that, half in jest, half in frustration.

What are the rules overseas? Are they stricter than in the US?

[tzipi]

Forget about the reason for the drugs being administered. That just confuses the issue.

Instead, there should be a cap or quota on racing related injuries. If trainer has 2 or more horses that do not finish a race, for any reason, suspend him for a month. If a horse gets injured during a race then is put down or later dies due to the injury, allow him 1 of those a year and any more than 1, suspend his license for a year.

I agree with CJ on this. Horses get hurt for many reasons. Many reasons that don't involve drugs. It would be wrong to give a trainer a bad name because his horses maybe got hurt naturally. But you're right, something should be done.

[lamboguy]

horses have very fragile legs, put a rider on them and their legs become more fragile, don't train the horse properly for their racing career and the legs become even more fragile.

[chadk66]

I'm all for cleaning up the game, but this is way over the top IMO. Horses get injured for lots of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with drugs or being unsound or unfit for racing.yes this ranks as the dumbest idea yet. I'm 100% for cleaning up the sport. National drug bans, etc. But this is just a stellar example of not knowing what's going on in the horse world.

[chadk66]

let me put it in perspective. When a horse is racing, shortly after the start they hit a four beat gate. They never have more than one foot on the ground at a time. A 1000 lb horse at racing speed will apply many thousands of pounds on a single front leg. The lower leg bones are not very big. It's almost inconceivable that they can withstand the rigors on a daily basis.

[DJofSD]

With proper diet and training, bone density increases.

[Stillriledup]

let me put it in perspective. When a horse is racing, shortly after the start they hit a four beat gate. They never have more than one foot on the ground at a time. A 1000 lb horse at racing speed will apply many thousands of pounds on a single front leg. The lower leg bones are not very big. It's almost inconceivable that they can withstand the rigors on a daily basis.


Here's an interesting HD video of super slow motion horses racing at Hastings Park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NPGqr6olrk

[chadk66]

With proper diet and training, bone density increases.
and your point?