Drug war of the clueless. What's gonna happen?

[andymays]

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/triplecrown2011/columns/story?columnist=moran_paul&id=6461850

Excerpt:

The legislation, which apparently lumps illegal drugs and therapeutic medication together without distinction, would create new provisions to the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, which permits simulcast wagering to take place across state lines.

This is an icy slope, news as welcome within the racing community as an IRS audit notice.

Drugs and medications are two distinctly different things and as badly as the sport is in need of medication reform, violations involving out-and-out performance enhancing drugs are relatively rare and already illegal. It is highly unlikely that either Rep. Whitfield or Sen. Udall are aware of the difference and safe to assume that the other 99 members of the U.S. Senate and 437 others seated in the House of Representatives share that ignorance,

Excerpt:

The use of race-day medication is the issue, not the degree of cheating that would qualify as a felony, and misguided Federal involvement in what is a festering problem in racing will do nothing but complicate the issue. The impetus for reform -- a return to medication-free racing in all American jurisdictions that conforms to current international standards -- must be the result of almost-impossible industry-wide consensus, establishment of a central authority and unanimous regulatory effort, which in this case amounts to the herding of cats.

[Delawaretrainer]

I am all for drug free racing but with exceptions. Like they say in political campaigns, it has to be done with a scalpel and not a hatchet. These decisions need to be made by scientists and horseman. For example, most racehorses get ulcers. They are very painful and the horses don't eat well. Even if you do your best and get your horses out of their stall a lot and graze them some horses just get them. A lot of trainers treat them with omeprazole or prevent them with ranitidine which are the same as human ulcer medicine. I am not allowed to use ranitidine within 48 hours of a race. This seems silly to me because it doesn't enhance performance and the horse needs it. Some drugs are banned because they test like or cover up the existance of other drugs. I'm not sure what the reasoning is with these medications.

My issue with banning lasix is that it will cull the herd of horses able to run. Even if someone gives me a yearling for FREE, it will cost me 10k to get it to a race if it even runs at two. Then, the horse bleeds. Without lasix, I have to give the horse away because I can't run it. If that happened to a new owner paying normal day rate we could kiss another owner goodbye. Also, what about the horses in my barn now that really bleed? I'd have to retire them too if the ban is nationwide. I know, I know, you will say good we have to breed it out of them, and europe lives without it and blah blah blah. I'm just saying, this is the reality of how it would effect my barn.

We should be concentrating more on what these supertrainers are giving their horses between races and withdrawing in time to pass the pre and post race testing. Most trainers are already pretty careful about medication close to a race.

[andymays]

I am all for drug free racing but with exceptions. Like they say in political campaigns, it has to be done with a scalpel and not a hatchet. These decisions need to be made by scientists and horseman. For example, most racehorses get ulcers. They are very painful and the horses don't eat well. Even if you do your best and get your horses out of their stall a lot and graze them some horses just get them. A lot of trainers treat them with omeprazole or prevent them with ranitidine which are the same as human ulcer medicine. I am not allowed to use ranitidine within 48 hours of a race. This seems silly to me because it doesn't enhance performance and the horse needs it. Some drugs are banned because they test like or cover up the existance of other drugs. I'm not sure what the reasoning is with these medications.

My issue with banning lasix is that it will cull the herd of horses able to run. Even if someone gives me a yearling for FREE, it will cost me 10k to get it to a race if it even runs at two. Then, the horse bleeds. Without lasix, I have to give the horse away because I can't run it. If that happened to a new owner paying normal day rate we could kiss another owner goodbye. Also, what about the horses in my barn now that really bleed? I'd have to retire them too if the ban is nationwide. I know, I know, you will say good we have to breed it out of them, and europe lives without it and blah blah blah. I'm just saying, this is the reality of how it would effect my barn.

We should be concentrating more on what these supertrainers are giving their horses between races and withdrawing in time to pass the pre and post race testing. Most trainers are already pretty careful about medication close to a race.

All good points. The problem is that the overwhelming majority of people think that banning everything is the best way to go and very few people like yourself are willing to speak up on reasonable issues.

Thanks for the input. :ThmbUp:

[Robert Goren]

This what happens when they refuse to police their own business. Sooner or later the government will step in if the powers that be don't act on their own.

[Irish Boy]

Here's what I've never understood:

There is no national racing commissioner or commission or anything of the sort. But there are some national racing institutions. The Graded Stakes Committee already has some ability to challenge certain practices, including drugs. Most tracks will bristle at having their graded stakes away (maybe especially the ones that only have a couple of them), and the committee has already used their power in some areas that are more debatable, like toe grabs.

Federal legislation, like death, has a curious habit of focusing the mind. I know the Graded Stakes Committee is ultimately an arm of breeders and owners, but couldn't they step in and create a strict and uniform set of standards? At the very least, they could then go to Congress and say "your regulation isn't necessary, but if you disagree, we experts have figured out what should and shouldn't be banned." In the meantime, if Arapahoe or Delta Downs or whatever (not intending to disparage those tracks, just random examples) refuses to fall into line, betters can know that those are "lawless" jurisdictions not governed by the uniform standards.

In other words, I think these regulations can be imposed from the top-down even in absence of a national organization. There may not be the will to do this...yet. There may not be agreement over what to ban, and what is essential. But the power is there.

Also, while I'm on my soapbox: why do the owners and breeders decide what is a graded stakes and what isn't anyway? What if those inscriptions were just ignored and some other independent body--maybe the DRF, but whatever--declared what grades certain races were? There'd be less grade inflation over time, for one thing. And if Churchill Downs could somehow be persuaded to go along in regards to Kentucky Derby placement, the move away from the TOBA graded stakes system might encourage horses to stay in training longer by not front-loading the number of graded opportunities early in their careers. Tracks would no longer have to emphasize larger in those 3yo stakes to have prominent races, instead shifting that money to the handicap division.

End soapbox.

[Kelso]

Without lasix, I have to give the horse away because I can't run it. If that happened to a new owner paying normal day rate we could kiss another owner goodbye. Also, what about the horses in my barn now that really bleed? I'd have to retire them too if the ban is nationwide.I understand your personal economic concerns, but I don't think they justify continued use of a substance that serves ... albeit among other purposes ... to cover up other, less legal and more harmful substances. Unaddressed, as well, is the question of whether bleeders should be allowed to continue racing, anyway. An improved breed, I think, would go a long way to making that question moot.

[igiveupregistering]

I am all for drug free racing but with exceptions. Like they say in political campaigns, it has to be done with a scalpel and not a hatchet. These decisions need to be made by scientists and horseman. For example, most racehorses get ulcers. They are very painful and the horses don't eat well. Even if you do your best and get your horses out of their stall a lot and graze them some horses just get them. A lot of trainers treat them with omeprazole or prevent them with ranitidine which are the same as human ulcer medicine. I am not allowed to use ranitidine within 48 hours of a race. This seems silly to me because it doesn't enhance performance and the horse needs it. Some drugs are banned because they test like or cover up the existance of other drugs. I'm not sure what the reasoning is with these medications.

My issue with banning lasix is that it will cull the herd of horses able to run. Even if someone gives me a yearling for FREE, it will cost me 10k to get it to a race if it even runs at two. Then, the horse bleeds. Without lasix, I have to give the horse away because I can't run it. If that happened to a new owner paying normal day rate we could kiss another owner goodbye. Also, what about the horses in my barn now that really bleed? I'd have to retire them too if the ban is nationwide. I know, I know, you will say good we have to breed it out of them, and europe lives without it and blah blah blah. I'm just saying, this is the reality of how it would effect my barn.

We should be concentrating more on what these supertrainers are giving their horses between races and withdrawing in time to pass the pre and post race testing. Most trainers are already pretty careful about medication close to a race.

Excellant post. Too bad becasue the issues you raise are real detriments.
Reflect arrogance of people who want to make laws about a sport where they are ignorant..totally stupid.

Are Olympic runners banned from using anti-inflammatory drugs while training?
I seem to recall that horses in Europe are allowed to train on Lasix among other medications. Is this accurate? Anyone here know for sure?

What about pollution in 2011? Do horses have compromised lung function becasue of bad air and consequently bleed with exertion? Is bleeding 100% an inheritable trait than can be "bred out"?

[andymays]

http://www.drf.com/news/motions-old-school-approach-leads-derby

Excerpt:

The 46-year-old Motion has become a hero to many racing fans because of his views and his record on medication. He prefers to rest horses with physical problems rather than to keep them going with drugs. He administers medications judiciously but admitted, “Everybody uses them as a crutch – me included.”

He uses Lasix regularly (it’s an “integral part” of the modern game, he says) and Bute when necessary. While doing so, he has compiled an extraordinarily distinction. Most of the country’s top trainers – such as Pletcher and Steve Asmussen – have multiple drug violations on their records. Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow has a record of infractions as long as his arm. But in the nearly 8,000 starts that make up his career, Motion has never been cited for a medication infraction. Not one. A journalist described him in print as the “anti-Dutrow,” the example that it’s possible to succeed in the sport without generating suspicions and cynicism about the use of illegal “juice.” Characteristically, Motion is uncomfortable with such acclaim.

“It makes me nervous to talk about it,” he said.

[Horseplayersbet.com]

Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers don't cause any positives I believe, but I think a very good argument can be made as to their (artificial) performance enhancing abilities.
http://www.fairhilltrainingcenter.com/608.html

I really hope that Congress includes things like oxygen chambers and shock therapy if they pass anything.

[jasperson]

[QUOTE=

My issue with banning lasix is that it will cull the herd of horses able to run. Even if someone gives me a yearling for FREE, it will cost me 10k to get it to a race if it even runs at two. Then, the horse bleeds. Without lasix, I have to give the horse away because I can't run it. If that happened to a new owner paying normal day rate we could kiss another owner goodbye. Also, what about the horses in my barn now that really bleed? I'd have to retire them too if the ban is nationwide. I know, I know, you will say good we have to breed it out of them, and europe lives without it and blah blah blah. I'm just saying, this is the reality of how it would effect my barn.
I understand that some horses need lasix to be able to run and I can live with that. What I don't understand is when I see a maiden race with say 6 first time starters and none of them have run a 4f in under 48 sec and they are all on lasix. It makes me think that some vets can find bleeders off the walking ring. It is rare today to find a horse on a 10 race program that is not on lasix.

[5k-claim]

I seem to recall that horses in Europe are allowed to train on Lasix among other medications. Is this accurate? Anyone here know for sure?

From the British Horseracing Authority at this link (http://www.britishhorseracing.com/resources/equine-science-and-welfare/medication-control.asp)

Reducing the Risk of Positive Drug Tests in Horseracing:
The European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC) has published guidelines to help practising veterinary surgeons to minimise the risk of positive drug tests on racehorses following routine, legitimate treatment....

A number of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were chosen by the EHSLC as the first group of substances chosen for publication of detection time guidelines, along with the diuretic furosemide. This reflects the common use of these substances in routine veterinary management of racehorses across Europe and also the fact that they are the most common group of drugs reported as prohibited substances in drug testing programmes across the world.

Information on the Detection Time for the following list of substances is now available:

Phenylbutazone 168 hours
Furosemide (Lasix) 48 hours You can read the entire list yourself, but the short answer to your question is: Yes.

Racing is the same everywhere in the world:

Give your horse what it needs to train
Mind your withdrawal times leading up to raceday (very important!)
Hope your horse does not bleed out the nostrils after the race, as this will be the one event guaranteed to have your horse labeled a "bleeder"; if no bleeding out the nostrils has occurred, have a scope done to detect bleeding in the throat and lungs- or don't have the scope and don't worry about it
If anyone asks, say that your horse is training, racing and living solely on "hay, oats and water". For added effect, do so with a straight face and a foreign accent.



What about pollution in 2011? Do horses have compromised lung function becasue of bad air and consequently bleed with exertion? I have never heard of such a study. My personal guess is that while pollution certainly can't help, it is not anywhere near as big a factor as the horse's basic anatomy and physiology. Here is a good page on EIPH (http://www.equinehospital.net/EIPH.htm) from the U.K. site EquineHospital.net (http://www.equinehospital.net/)

Is bleeding 100% an inheritable trait than can be "bred out"?I believe there are similar figures just about everywhere, as the article above says, "EIPH occurs world-wide in more than 80% of Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses, and is also seen in Quarterhorse racehorses and polo ponies."

Despite the fact that many fans, sportswriters and politicians here in so-called drug-addicted America seem to be under the amusing impression that the "rest of the world" has already bred out EIPH, I would say that anyone interested in seeing this actually happen should start making sure that they are eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise and rest.... they are going to need to stay alive for a while.

.

[nearco]

I seem to recall that horses in Europe are allowed to train on Lasix among other medications. Is this accurate? Anyone here know for sure?


The rules in the rest of the world are pretty simple..... no drugs when tested post race. You can train a horse on whatever you want, but it better out of the system come raceday.
All the people harping on about therapeutic this that and the other are just hand waving. At least Delawaretrainer is honest enough to admit he is talking through his wallet.

[Delawaretrainer]

The rules in the rest of the world are pretty simple..... no drugs when tested post race. You can train a horse on whatever you want, but it better out of the system come raceday.
All the people harping on about therapeutic this that and the other are just hand waving. At least Delawaretrainer is honest enough to admit he is talking through his wallet.

Yes, finances do come in to play, but I do not send horses out that are compromised for money, I'd rather send them to the farm. IMO horses need to be fit, happy, fed well and have a nice comfy place to sleep if you want them to run good. No drug will replace that. In fact, drug use even with allowable drugs can backfire. Too much vitamins and your horse could wash out. Too much lasix can make some horses run really bad.

For some reason, lasix use doesn't really bother me. Yes, it is a performance enhancer for other reasons besides preventing bleeding. This is probably because they lose water weight since it is a diuretic. This might also dehydrate your horse though and make him dull. So, unless you are an idiot, you are just going to use what you really need to help the horse not bleed. If the commissions are worried about the lasix washing traces of drugs out of their body, they can always test them before lasix is given.

Although lasix is way overused IMO, I am still more concerned with these supertrainers that reverse form ridiculously. Maybe they use EPO, ITTP or steroids with short withdrawl times. I'm not worried about the person that overuses lasix because I will probably beat that guy.