Although the list of problems seems very comprehensive, I think there should be absolutely no doubt to the fact that drug use is the biggest and most critical problem, modern horse racing is facing.
As years go by, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for the game to attract young crowds mainly due to the use of drugs that covert the betting pools to a pray for the insiders who posses the juice... If I ever be asked by a young guy who wants to get involved to the gambling scene I will have no hesitation to advice him to stay clear of horse racing and prefer other types of gambling where he might have the potential to actually beat the game (like holdem for example)...
In our era it is common to see a winner coming from a recent dead last performance with absolutely no excuses, who can be accounted only to use of drags and of course fraud.
The worst think though, is that nobody seems to really care about it! A handful of middle aged and retirees who are attending the racing in live is surely not the best audience to protest, the stewards remain silent and the racing press appears extremely tolerant and inactive....
The recently imposed regulation by NYRA regarding drugs looks like a joke, as it restricts ALL THE DRUGS EXCEPT FOUR SPECIFIC STEROIDS that can be used up to a specific period prior to the races. This is a ridiculous ruling that will only perpetuate the juice nightmare allowing trainers to find gazillions ways around it….
Why they just don’t totally ban anabolic steroids, enforcing random drug tests for all the horses in training with very strict penalties for the violators? They are so naïve to believe that the crooked trainers, used to steal the bettors dollar using illegal medication will be discouraged be this wrist slapping “regulation”?
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