SYMPOSIUM: Challenge for public to understand medication
 

Can Public, Fans Understand Drug Testing?
By Tom LaMarra

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...d-drug-testing

Updated: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 8:29 AM
Posted: Monday, December 7, 2009 10:05 PM

Therapeutic versus non-therapeutic. Class 4 therapeutic drugs that can impact a racehorse’s performance. Testing in urine versus blood. “Positives” for drugs that may not have impacted performance but led to fines, suspensions, and damaged reputations. Nanograms and picograms. And something called “zero tolerance.”

The sensitivity of equine drug testing is a big plus for the racing industry, but it also has created confusion. How are the public and media supposed to understand when some industry participants can’t make sense of it?

Such is the challenge facing the industry, members of which met Dec. 7 in Tucson, Ariz., for the one-day Racing Officials Accreditation Program Conference on Officiating Horse Racing. The topic was equine medication and drug testing, and prosecution of related cases.

To be honest Steve, I think many fans/gamblers that just look at the sport just from a gambling aspect, (I'm assuming that it's a very high percentage) don't care about drug testing. The only way they would care and it would matter to them, would be if they were able to have results for a drug test before a race goes official. Until then the betting public will continue to get screwed. They will tear up tickets on races lost to horses that are juiced up and then just be fustrated weeks after when the results are changed but they are out of luck. Otherwise there will always be perceptions around certain trainers, sometimes you will win with them and sometimes they will beat you and when that happens the only thing you are concerened about is the next race going off in 17 minutes. Because what good is understanding why a certain trainer is going to be suspended for 30 days for a race that cheated you out of a payout weeks earlier. Realistically the lost wager affected your life, a trainer doing days doesn't.

Why can't the trainer be suspended and fined?
I really liked the comment the other day about making the fine the same amount as the purse. Make the trainer and the owner split the fine and also make the specific HORSE sit out for 2 or 3 months. Howmany of those so you think it would take for other owners to yank their horses from the cheating trainers?

FINALLY ! :tro:

What would they do with a horse that is banned for 2 or 3 months? Think an owner running for lower level purses is just going to feed the horse for 2 or 3 months without anyway to re-coup the money?
I can agree with most of your idea , but not banning the horse , people who race horses at places like Turf Paradise need to be able to run and hope the horse makes some money to pay the bills.

That's the point. It has to hurt, wrist slaps aren't doing it! I want a "blotter" too. There should be a list from every track that shows current suspensions, fines, etc. and any Horse,Trainer, Owner that has a horse on the card that's had a blot in the last 2 months.
Damnit I'm putting my money up to bet them, I want the info.
If an Allowance or Stakes level horse is put on the shelf for 2 months, that will make the owner very leary of using the trainer again.

I understand your wish to hand out "capital" punishment , but as is with the rest of life you cant always get what you want. Im saying and I dont think you are getting it , is that cheap horses that run for cheap purses pay their own way by running and that is how most of the owners stay in the game. Fine the trainer and owner, suspend the trainer but to ban the horse could mean in some extreme cases that you would pretty much be ending that horses life.

Actually..I think a $5K claimer on the shelf will hurt as much or more. I can't argue with your passion for cleaning this situation up, but if you are casually talking about taking a $4,000 a month horse and banning him for 2 months, plus fining the connections purse amounts, every rule better be airtight and consistent by track and state. It's hard enough to break even as it is.

Agreed. But if they are found quilty, after all the hemming and hawing and appeals, second tests, etc. then it has to have effect.

Agreed

quilty?

I'm an excellent quilter.

therefore, I am quilty

I always took you for a knitter ... who knew.:D

That's been available for a few years, and posted here previously.

Here's California's: http://www.chrb.ca.gov/

Here's New York's: http://rulings.racing.state.ny.us/frm_Rulings.aspx

Here's Kentucky, but stuff is slow to get out: http://www.khrc.ky.gov/

Thanks.