House Subcommittee Hearings

[Rileyoriley]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Rupert

You have to understand that this "hearing" was like a fixed race. The politicians had already predetermined what they want to do, which is CONTROL racings revenue streams, hence the one sided witness list. Can you inagine if the outcry when they held the baseball hearings if they didnt invite the players association reps? Hell no player would have shown up. Arthur Hancock has been saying that the sky is falling since 1990 yet it hasnt. Jack Van Berg was only invited because of a piece in the NY Post where he sounded like a bitter old guy. Jackson employes one of the most penalized trainers in the business yet was never asked about that relationship. Randy Moss has had an on air agenda since the begining of the year.It was a set up. Some of what they said may be true (in theory, since i heard mostly personal opinions that were never backed up with any facts or examples).

But the whole process was a sham. Why wasnt the RMTC represented? Why wasn't the HBPA repesented? Why werent the racetracks represented? Can you agree that this was far from a representative group? just because you agree that the is a problem with drugs doesnt mean you have to think that this was a positive.

Do you not understand that whenever racing has an issue this testimony will be referenced by both the politicians and mainstream media? Do you not understand that when politicians talk of people getting wealthy and huge amounts of revenue and billion dollar industry these are signs that they intend on taking some of that money even though there really isnt any money out there to take? Do you realize that the sport moving forward will look exactly the same on the track as it does now?

Think I'm wrong about that? Let me give you a brief reminder of what has happened in the last 10 years. When I got my trainers license in 1999 there was wide spread milkshaking, wide spread EPO use, zero steroid regulation, wide spread use of shockwave machines right up to the time horses went to the paddock, in KY we were allowed to give anti inflamatories 4 hours before post, no detention barns in NY, no surveliience barns in CA, virtually no investigators anywhere, cocaine positives, steroids in sales horses, etc. As of Jan 1, 2009 we will have dealt with all of these issues yet people like you continue to say that everything is out of control and nothing has been done. So when some of us scratch our heads when you guys complain that nothing as been done maybe you can understand where we are coming from.

Has enough been done? of course not but in my lifetime more has been done in the past 4 years than the first 36. What exactly are the feds going to do? Ban steroids? that has already been accomplished for the most part. I never heard one of the illustrious panelists talk about the so called designer drugs that the guys in CA that you despise so much are using. They arent gaining an advantage using drugs that everybody has access to.

If you love the sport in any capacity I fail to see how this will wind up a positive in the end. Higher takeout, less money for owners, and the same guys winning all the races. The breeding aspect cant be legislated and as such will not change unless guys start buying slow horses and ignoring the fast ones. Horses will still breakdown, unfortunately in big races too. Not much will change but it will cost us a lot. This is a hugely complex issue which is not exactly a government specialty.

No AAEP representation either.