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The problem is that in order to punish someone either financially or with supension, you need a physical test to say that the horse ran with something illegal.
Racing needs to adopt new rules to punish 'form reversal' offenders even if they don't find a banned substance in the animal's system.
We all know that there are drugs that can mask other drugs...so, a 'clean' test on a form reversal runner doesn't hold a heck of a lot of water as far as the exploited fans go.
We also need to make sure we don't punish a trainer for 'moving up' a runner that was just trained by someone incompetent. The move up trainer shouldn't be punished because the first person didn't know how to put a bridle on a horse.
In this day and age, the skill of the current training crop is, on the whole, extremely good. Most trainers have the ability to use current technology and a qualified vet. There are very few trainers out there who are SO incompetent that another trainer will just move their horse up 15 lengths overnight.
There might need to be retrospective punishments. If this Dutrow horse in question goes on to consistently run Beyer figs in the 100s and turns into a top horse, than this was obviously the case of a top horse who just underachieved in a bad barn.
But, if this one reversal turns out to be a one hit wonder and the horse then goes back to his previous races and never duplicates that 'explosion' than someone can go back months later and finger that one race and issue a punishment.
Lots to think about, lots to discuss.
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