Steroid Era

[Altanbarr]

I'm with Dray on this issue. Steroids are bad for horse racing because they discourage gamblers from gambling (see Andy Beyer), they discourage investors from investing again when they see their sale horses shrink a few weeks after the sale, they discourage owners from running in races against horses trained by medically enhanced supertrtainers and they discourage people from encouraging their friends to get involved in the sport. I have been discouraged in all of those ways. So now I am down to one mare and one foal and have great difficulty explaining to my wife why I am still doing this at all. Everyone can have their own views on what steroids do for the welfare of the horse, but steroids are bad for the horse business because they add unneccesary expense and promote the impression that its a rigged game. And, frankly, I don't think all the recent rule changes are going to change things much because there is still no mechanism for meaningful enforcement of the rules. We've got forty state racing commissions without the will or the budget to actually enforce the rules. That's forty dogs with no teeth, just a lot of mouths to feed.

Wait, I have to stop before I talk myself out of the business altogether.

[dray33]

Said better than I could, Altanbarr, thank you. I too am considering my future in the sport. Many of us are. And sadly, all that's left is a glimmer of hope for fair trade, a level playing field, true competition when the best horse, not vet or trainer, wins. It's fading fast, and takes another piece out of me, every time I hear about $250 dollar fines, limited implementation, delays and talk. I react poorly (my bad) to horse people who defend the use/abuse, because it hurts us all. Worse, it has hurt the horse. No amount of rhetoric or excuse-making is going to change the numbers. These animals are in our charge. Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted. Let's hope we all stand for bettering the breed, and the sport. That's a good side to be vocal about, to defend.

[Roger]

Said better than I could, Altanbarr, thank you. I too am considering my future in the sport. Many of us are. And sadly, all that's left is a glimmer of hope for fair trade, a level playing field, true competition when the best horse, not vet or trainer, wins. It's fading fast, and takes another piece out of me, every time I hear about $250 dollar fines, limited implementation, delays and talk. I react poorly (my bad) to horse people who defend the use/abuse, because it hurts us all. Worse, it has hurt the horse. No amount of rhetoric or excuse-making is going to change the numbers. These animals are in our charge. Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted. Let's hope we all stand for bettering the breed, and the sport. That's a good side to be vocal about, to defend.

These animals are in our charge!!!!!! To my illogical mind, it is better to prevent pain than to treat pain. Running on oats hay and water would be harder on horses than low dosages of equipose and bute. When we forget the anti-inflamatory effects of treatment we forget about the well fare of the horse. Call me what you want, but I don't care to cause my animals pain when I can prevent it. Treatment before exercise prevents injury. This is my last post on this tread.

[walaa]

Thank God

[Roger]

Thank God

I'm sorry if I've bored you.

[oliverstoned]

Said better than I could, Altanbarr, thank you. I too am considering my future in the sport. Many of us are. And sadly, all that's left is a glimmer of hope for fair trade, a level playing field, true competition when the best horse, not vet or trainer, wins. It's fading fast, and takes another piece out of me, every time I hear about $250 dollar fines, limited implementation, delays and talk. I react poorly (my bad) to horse people who defend the use/abuse, because it hurts us all. Worse, it has hurt the horse. No amount of rhetoric or excuse-making is going to change the numbers. These animals are in our charge. Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted. Let's hope we all stand for bettering the breed, and the sport. That's a good side to be vocal about, to defend.

These animals are in our charge!!!!!! To my illogical mind, it is better to prevent pain than to treat pain. Running on oats hay and water would be harder on horses than low dosages of equipose and bute. When we forget the anti-inflamatory effects of treatment we forget about the well fare of the horse. Call me what you want, but I don't care to cause my animals pain when I can prevent it. Treatment before exercise prevents injury. This is my last post on this tread.

Hey how about preventing pain for them by not racing them and giving them some time off if they need equipoise and bute? Now c'mon back roger for one more post.

[Roger]

Said better than I could, Altanbarr, thank you. I too am considering my future in the sport. Many of us are. And sadly, all that's left is a glimmer of hope for fair trade, a level playing field, true competition when the best horse, not vet or trainer, wins. It's fading fast, and takes another piece out of me, every time I hear about $250 dollar fines, limited implementation, delays and talk. I react poorly (my bad) to horse people who defend the use/abuse, because it hurts us all. Worse, it has hurt the horse. No amount of rhetoric or excuse-making is going to change the numbers. These animals are in our charge. Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted. Let's hope we all stand for bettering the breed, and the sport. That's a good side to be vocal about, to defend.

These animals are in our charge!!!!!! To my illogical mind, it is better to prevent pain than to treat pain. Running on oats hay and water would be harder on horses than low dosages of equipose and bute. When we forget the anti-inflamatory effects of treatment we forget about the well fare of the horse. Call me what you want, but I don't care to cause my animals pain when I can prevent it. Treatment before exercise prevents injury. This is my last post on this tread.

Hey how about preventing pain for them by not racing them and giving them some time off if they need equipoise and bute? Now c'mon back roger for one more post.

OK this is the last one. Time off is great and needed. I'll ask you a question. Have you ever strived to get into top shape? It takes pain and determination. You reach plateaus (sp) where rest will help to come back to climb higher, but the pain is there. We take aspirin, why can't horses have bute to get them into and maintain top shape. If we take aspirin before we work out, we don't hurt, if we wait until we hurt to take aspirin, we are dense. Just my opinion.

No matter the species, no pain no gain.

[dray33]

Extrapolate out your logic for a sec, Roger. Ever try building muscle mass without steroids? It's one-tenth as effective. Ever try masking illegal medications without the use of Lasix? Harder to do. Ever try running on an injury without the use of cobra venom? It really, really "helps" the horse. Heck, I've heard in the good ol' days, people electro-shocked horses right there in the stall before a race to "sharpen 'em up". No long lasting effects, they say. You see, your argument will always go back to "how dare you say we should race on hay and oats and water and nothing else to help the horse" which allows you to completely ignore the issue and cause of the thread: Steroid use/abuse (which you ALSO continue to defend). All I am saying is that you holding on to the "good" use of steroids will probably (the way it's written) allow the "abuse", because those in charge cannot even legislate the issue fairly. You think we are dense because we are against the abuses of drugs that are RAMPANT in the sport? Since when are we talking about Aloe, ice and aspirin?

Maybe it's time for YOU to stop judging us, ducking the abuse issues and start a NEW thread yourself: Steroids. Why they are good, cause no damage, are fair and should be allowed in our sport.

[dray33]

I walked away, but had to post one last thing: Why are you constantly defending your practices? No one here called you a cheat. No one here mentioned abuse of Aloe, or aspirin, or even ice. No one really cares. It's not about you, or your horsemanship. It's about steroids, and what they have done to damage the sport. You should stop personalizing the issue... unless you have something to confess. I don't mind if you think I am silly because I think steroids are partly to blame for the fragility in our horses. Instead of discussing the possibility, you continue to discuss the benefits. Gotcha. I too understand the magical benefits of steroids. And I still choose not to employ the trainers that are the medication "experts".

You're right. I probably am silly. But I am getting a bit less silly every day.

[going4stamina]

As a Texan, and somebody who used to enjoy going to the TX tracks....
When I go now, I bet more off track than I do at the TX tracks--why?:

*I got really burned by all the miraculous performances by former duds by chemical trainers in races. Funny how they don't get caught in TX, but take a horse to another jurisdiction and all kinds of funny stuff shows up (muscle relaxants, blood pressure meds, and of course a milkshake or two to "help" the horse)! That is the stuff caught, what has been going around the backside that isn't?
*The other part of that is because of all the low level claiming races and wondering what meds the horses are on to get through the race. Sure, a few are just "slow" and in where they belong, but when you see former stakes horses in $5K claimers--they are there because of wear, tear, loss of interest, or injury. They need retired, not "help" to keep going until they finally break down.

Sure, these issues are not TX problems alone, but I have lost faith in TX racing. Roger, I am sorry, but your strong position supports my beliefs.

..and more:
http://www.rmtcnet.com/main.asp?id=3&s=1&article=214

The industry describes bute as horse aspirin. But some studies suggest it isn't a wonder drug. In high doses, bute has been shown by researchers at Ohio State University to weaken bones and cartilage in young horses, and the medicine can contribute to ulcers if used for long periods.

Records show that some Texas racehorses have competed with levels of bute in their system as high as four times the legal limit. Many horses consistently tested positive for the drug over the span of several years.

A Texas Racing Commission report noted excessive bute use rose 46 percent in 2005, from 65 positive tests the previous year to 95. The report called for increased penalties for bute violations.

My favorite quote from the article was the trainer blaming injuries on longer races--are you kidding me? What % of races are longer than 6 furlongs in TX!?

A little off topic from just steroids--but I am a firm believer that everything from Lasix, Bute and especially steroids are decreasing the vitality of the TB breed and the confidence of your racetrack customers (who pay for purses) and potential/current owners (who are your sales and stud fee customers).

The current state of TX racing is not just the fault of the legislature, if there was confidence in the product, handicappers would still support the races in TX.

[dray33]

My theory on the ills of racing is very basic, and I know that it's easy to name twenty other issues that seem to be much more important, but I can't seem to let go of it: I believe that the lack of integrity in our sport has done more damage to it than anything. And the "driver" to the lack of integrity is this: a willingness to take advantage of the system (horses, people, regulations) to benefit, without regard for those in the system with you. And the most insidious part of this is the institutional support of this way of doing business. A disregard of community for self, especially when crossing the line with things like drugs, or toe grabs, or whatever have-you that can be used to pad your wallet, but hurts the horse (and your neighbor). It will always boil down to the "perception" of a level playing field. NOBODY in charge seems to care. Well, that's wrong. They care enough to SAY they care. But legislation with "teeth"? Come on, we all know what's what.

Steroids were wrong the day they began using them on the track. The argument is illogical to the point of laughing/crying: The horses need it and benefit from it. Well, sure they do. But if they NEED it, don't they need time off too? So the story goes that they are well enough be in training, yet not well enough to make it without the use of steroids, then why are they in training?

How can this even be a discussion? I have yet to meet someone who truly believes steroids do not enhance performance. And yet the rule-making bodies (and the 40 jurisdictional rule making bodies on top of those) ALL agreed for decades to look the other way. Even defend the practice. Honor the users/abusers. Even to this very day, our anointed press does a horrid job of digging out the truth. DID drugs have anything to do with the incredible wins in the Sunshine Millions? Why are drug results not public domain. I want to know. I will feel much better if there is a system in place to REALLY REALLY test, and the information is made public to all those who ask. Why isn't Florida PROUD of their testing facilities and sport integrity?

We know why. I know we need to address a million different things, and I really hope we do. But until true, fair and honest legislation can assure true, fair and honest competition, we are doomed. The horse is more doomed. This is not flipping the current system on its ass, this is aligning what we all want: THE BEST HORSE WINNING. Doesn't the world, our world, benefit from such an outcome? Can you imagine a day when THE BEST HORSE wins races, without performance enhancing magic. I can't. I cannot. Right now, we are at the mercy of those that really don't care that much. They want to take focus off the integrity issues, and concentrate on all the other problems we have (barely).

Owners can no longer be assured that they can be competitive without using trainers that "lean in". So if you want to play this sport on the higher levels, or even TRY to make some money, you had better use these guys and look the other way, or you'll be just one more of those guys that piss away money. And the honest trainers? Well, get ready to lose clientele to the guys that win because winning is everything and you're not doing enough to improve the horses. Bettors? Handicap using cheats on your WPS bets, because its good as gold.

Everyone else can get in line. Until we get serious, the ride we take leads to one place.

[spex4me]

I am going to stop saying look to the past. I am so sick of hearing people say "Oh you don't really believe those horses (Bid,Secretariat,Slew,ect )weren't doped on X Y Z?" I am instead going to focus on the future. In this business, in as little as five years trends will become evident in who top sires are (regardless of their own chemical make-up while racing) and what steroid free racing really looks like. This 45 day w/d time is an absolute joke. I have already heard some joking about it. Everything from "Oh no I really don't think it take more than 2 steps off him hehehe" to "Just tell all those PETA lovers you had to give it to the horse for (a valid AILMENT, not lack of energy/stamina)". And why must it be every time someone makes a stand to defend an animal someone else is making some PETA joke out of it?!? Just because you support something does not invalidate what you believe or make you an extremist, one way or the other. News Flash: Just because a horse is a Thoroughbred doesn't make it a bona fide race horse or particularily good at anything. That is the chance you take.

Call me a fool, but if I can't keep a horse at the track in good condition without drugs, then I am not going to keep it at the track period. If I have to inject a horse to have it run through it's pain, I'm not doing it and it's not racing. This nonsense about equating roids to aspirin is ridiculous. Ask Sammy Sosa if Pepcid and Tylenol got him to his record. Or even if they could have?

[dray33]

if I can't keep a horse at the track in good condition without drugs, then I am not going to keep it at the track period. If I have to inject a horse to have it run through it's pain, I'm not doing it and it's not racing.

Well said.

[dray33]

Listening to the radio today and they mentioned that the first sign of governments failing is when the people have lost faith. It is, as they say, the "tipping point" to either failure or dramatic change. I feel that our sport is at the tipping point, and hope that it does, indeed lead to dramatic, positive changes.

[journeyman]

My first job on a horse farm/training Center was in 1973. Equipoise and Deca Duraborum were used at that time.