Drugs

[karlskorner]

www.thoroughbredtimes.com

Go to archives for 4/10

Title: RACING PRESSURED BY ISSUE OF DRUGS IN HORSES.

A couple of quotes:

"There was no surprise registered in the New York office of Jim Gallagher, executive director of the Racing Integrity and Drug Testing Task Force, when 10 horses in Nebraska recently tested positive for the prohibited drug clonidine. Clonidine is the latest symptom in what has become one of Thoroughbred racing's most pervasive ailments - the widespread use of drugs in racehorses coupled with a diverse mix of state testing procedures that give confilicting results to participants and the wagering public

The task force's ongoing "super testing" for drugs in random urine samples taken from horses from about 30 tracks is yielding positives showing prohibited substances, but Gallagher would not reveal any details about what kind of drugs or how many positives have been discovered"

Some one just whispered in my ear:
"EASY GAME"

Karl

[PaceAdvantage]

I am completely convinced (and have been for some time), that the level of shenanigans that goes on in this game, from the most respected individuals (jocks and trainers), to the lowest on the totem poll (grooms and hotwalkers), is far, FAR greater than anyone would ever dare to imagine, OR any racing official cares to admit.

Does this mean that I think the game shouldn't be played? Absolutely not. Even with all the crap that goes on, I firmly believe racing is the best game in town (with the possible exception of the stock market....LOL)


==PA

[karlskorner]

P.A.

The Stock Market. Been there, done that. During the GO Go years of the 60's when the Young Turks ran the show. The SEC was as helpless then, as the Racing Inegrity and Drug Test Task Force is now.

Stealing a purse of $25,000 and maybe a couple thousand on a wager is small potatoes compared to the Stock Market were we are talking millions. After all, can an owner, trainer or "wise guy" go to his local book or OTB and lay down a couple million. The whistles would be heard in Alaska.

When I finally realized that the brokers and specialist were "running the game" it was time to fold the tent.

At least in horsracing there aren't to many barriers between me and my money (except drugs, buzzers, handshakes in the track lunchroom, a couple of broken bones and once in awhile a whack) I like the chances I have in horseracing.

Karl

[smf]

Illegal performance enhancing drugs found in Nebraska's horses, you say? I didn't know Tom Osborne had a trainers license.

Of course drugs are in racing--always will be.

When I raced bikes in the USCF, there were 35 year olds taking in "juice" like it was candy; Money and egos were on the line. When I did some triathlons from 1991-94, steroids were all the rage....It w/b a shocker if horseracing didn't have a drug problem.

Whenever there's a perceived advantage in better racing thru chemistry, it'll happen. No news there.