What percentage of trainers cheat
 

What percentage of horse trainers do you really feel are cheating regularly, by using illegal drugs to move up or hold back horses?

69%

I had to make the poll up, go vote :D

Assuming you guys answered honestly, it's a bit shocking to me that people think over 50% of the trainers in the business are juicing horses.

Especially when you look at the rates of drug positives out of NY or CA.

What makes you think that it is even possible to test positive for some of the stuff they are cheating with?

Because there aren't that many magic bullets.

The amazing thing is that this list thinks most horse trainers are dishonest, are cheaters.

I'm sure it is probably below 50% of total trainers that are cheating but it wouldn't surprise me if 50% of races won were from the barns of cheating trainers.

Yeah, probably a better way of phrasing it.

A better poll would have been, if you are watching a day of races at one of the bigger tracks (Santa Anita, Keeneland, Saratoga, Belmont, etc) - what percentage of horses do you think are running juiced right in front of your eyes? One in each race? Three a day?

What percentage of DT'ers are on drugs? That would be a better poll and I think the numbers would be higher....along with the DT'ers

i hope horses i wager on are trained by trainers that try harder;)

I'm wondering who the 8 people are that voted for the 0-5% range :rolleyes:

^
Me ;)

Probably the most informed voters

Informed about what Chuck?

I wanted to ask what actually constitutes "cheating"? If cheating is "breaking the rules" or "not abiding by the rules" -- how can we talk about this when most people don't know the rules? Exercise in futility. I say the % of trainers "not abiding by the rules" is very high, but again, that statement is being made in the abstract.

If we are talking about what % of horses are racing on hay, water and oats -- then that % is going to be extremely low. In the big picture, it might be de minimis. However, hay, water and oats is not the standard. What about raceday medications? Aren't there some jurisdictions where "nothing" can be used on raceday? Aren't there some where you can treat a horse with any # of X listed medications?

Eric

I would have disagreed with you ...

But when I saw that Magic Idol is one of the eight ... I feel a lot more like you have to be right.

You're a mod now?

If you are racing with allowable levels of legal medication how are you cheating? Since when is hay, oats and water the only "non-cheating" level?

No

Chuck, that's my point. It's very simple. The results people see are dictating the opinion. First, if the standard is allowable levels of medication, that's great. However, second, with most people not understanding the rules, and knowing enough about that side of the game, few positive tests dictate that most people will believe that a very small % of trainers "cheat" so to speak. As a side note -- as I've said numerous times, this is also not just about trainers. It's about far more people on the food chain, but we don't have to open that discussion again.

Also, about the hay, oats and water -- I very clearly said that was not the standard. So, are you telling me that the % of trainers who race exclusively with allowable medications is extremely low?

The real problem is that people who want to play the game the right way -- they are often at a competitive disadvantage. It's a shame.

Eric

The % of trainers that race exclusively with allowable meds is very high.
The competitive disadvantage is caused by a select few that dont feel that those rules apply to them and understand that the authorities in charge of stopping them are sadly inept.