Crist writing about Lasix
 

http://www.drf.com/news/outlawing-la...-stop-bleeding


The first I ever heard of anyone suggest lasix use has hurt betting handle was 3 days ago when Cannon Shell claimed that it's become a talking point of some sort.

Doug,

Don't want people to think that Chuck is making that assertion. It's being bizarrely used by the draconian anti race-day medication crowd.

Crist: Reasonable people can disagree about whether the raceday administration of Lasix should be continued, modified or phased out in American racing, but two aspects of the current debate about it simply don’t pass the smell test.

The first is the proposition that Lasix is a major issue in the declining popularity of the sport and a significant factor in the industry’s current business woes. The oft-repeated narrative is that lifelong horseplayers are suddenly so troubled by Lasix, decades after its introduction, that they are deserting the game, and that newcomers who would otherwise be filling the grandstands are staying home because they are so repelled by it.

No sale. Of course if you poll civilians about whether racing (or water polo, or your local crafts fair) would be better off without “performance-enhancing” drugs, they will answer in the affirmative. From personal experience, however, I see no evidence that this translates to Lasix keeping anyone away from racing.

The public is reliably informed which horses (i.e., just about all of them) are getting it, and which ones are getting it for the first time. There are plenty of things that horseplayers are justifiably disgruntled about – high takeout, unappealing races, poor technology, subpar facilities – but raceday Lasix never turns up on the long list of customer complaints.

Yeah - talking points from the anti-race day med crowd (most of which I pay no attention to I guess) - not Cannon Shell's talking points.

Was Bounding Basque a big bleeder?




Maybe he wasn't ... but forms like he had were a lot more common in the pre-lasix days.

Looked like he didn't like to face Vanlandingham or deal with a fast early pace.

Could be that too. I don't know. That's one nutty form.

Suddenly you're quite interested in him.

I looked him up when you mentioned him the other day.

His form seemed like its all over the place - didn't bother to look through charts and stuff - any reason you know of why he seemed so inconsistant at first glance.

No idea. Too long ago. He was just a horse I kind of liked....and I bet him when he beat Life's Magic. Not sure why.

"never on the rail" Graell breaking from the 10-hole maybe?

Maybe the 10th path was live that meet and you thought he might follow it the whole way around?

The second Vanlandingham race makes sense because Vanlandingham was a pretty good mudder.

Crist: "It also would be a lot easier to accept the supposed scorn of the international racing community if a single one of the powerful international stables that sends horses to the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup declined to use Lasix as a matter of principle once they get here. Instead, virtually all of them use it [my addition - when they race in the US] while continuing to criticize American racing for allowing them to do so."

As if thousands of Lasix-free races overseas wasn't enough proof...

International trainers are on record as saying they use Lasix when they get here because they believe it puts their horses on the same playing field, they believe it gives THEM an edge. When in Rome...

The rail was frequently dead back then.

It feels like on the list of challenges facing horse racing... Lasix is way down on the list.

I know you've mentioned that before - kind of where I was going with that Greall remark.

I thought it was Tony " never knew the rail " Graell.

I actually still see him occasionally.

Vanlandingham was a pretty good everything. Is it possible he won his first ten races ( no, I just looked it up )? I remember him wiring a pretty good field over a total bog in the Washington DC International. He was a monster.

I also think he's basically the horse that put Shug on the map.

Lasix was legal back then. Just not in NY. Not sure about NJ.

It is. Actually - it's not even on the list.

In my opinion - there are zero challenges facing racing that don't involve

A) High takeout

B) politicans not knowing what's best for the games growth

C) Pathetically stupid and worthless industry people - who somehow have a lot of say and power

D) Hopeless idiots who direct the racing at a lot of different racetracks throughout the country

E) Getting innovative with exchange wagering and not screwing it up


Other than that - horse racing has no challenges. Nothing else is standing in the way of it becoming more popular than the NFL and becoming an explosive form of gambling.

But yeah, other than that Mrs. Lincoln - how was the play?