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Doped Horses on a Juiced Track - Breeders' Cup Lacks Integrity
Sixty percent of horses running in the Breeders' Cup will be running on Furosemide. Horses injected with the drug "raced faster, earned more money, and were more likely to win or finish in the top 3 positions than horses that did not. Horses receiving furosemide had an estimated 6-furlong race time that ranged from 0.56 seconds to 1.09 seconds less than that for horses not receiving furosemide, a difference equivalent to 3 to 5.5 lengths" (Gross, Morley, Hincliff). Next year, the Breeders' Cup committee, in its infinite wisdom, will allow all horses to run on the drug.
Why move in the opposite direction - why allow more doping? What professional sport allows and encourages their top athletes to run on performance enhancing drugs? How can horse racing survive with such a distorted set of values, particularly in an environment where fans detest drug use by pro athletes. Where is the integrity? How can reasonable minds allow such madness?
To compound matters is the racing surface at Santa Anita Park. One would think with all the science, technology and world class equipment the racetrack surface managers would get it right - a level playing surface, a neutral track or as close to neutral as possible. A review of the racing surface statistics shows a 76% speed bias for the meet. From what I've read, racetrack management has supplemented the surface with differing types of sand in an effort to level the playing field, but jockeys are complaining that the kick back from the new "sand" stings and causes some horses to back out and run wide in an effort to avoid the discomfort from the kickback. Review of video replays confirms their statements.
Doped horses running on a juiced surface hurts the integrity of the sport. We need to get back to a level playing field with no drugs allowed.
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Nothing endures but change.
- Heraclitus 535-475 BC
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