Look! Hell froze over !

[Cannon Shell]

Putting a 30 day rule in will most likely lead to false positives and more trouble than its worth. The fact is that anabolic steroids are easily genetically engineered and made undetectable to current testing thus giving the cheaters one more advantage over the non cheaters. It will also give the elite trainers one more excuse to give their horses fewer and more spaced out races. "Cant run because we needed a some Winstrol, got to have another 22 days to clear the system."

[Riot]

Am I also understanding this correctly - that the Graded Stakes Committee will test for these substances, but it is still up to the respective jurisdictions to implement any penalties, if they so desire?

We need national standards.

And yes, I thought about the increased spacing of races, too ...

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Riot

Am I also understanding this correctly - that the Graded Stakes Committee will test for these substances, but it is still up to the respective jurisdictions to implement any penalties, if they so desire?

We need national standards.

And yes, I thought about the increased spacing of races, too ...

Honestly I thought the most amazing thing coming out of the JC round table was Dinny saying that the Jockey Club would support owners being suspended in serious medication violations.

[ELA]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Honestly I thought the most amazing thing coming out of the JC round table was Dinny saying that the Jockey Club would support owners being suspended in serious medication violations.

I agree. I liked the message, but far more importantly I like the words. From the first time there was discussion about penalizing, suspending, etc., owners -- I had serious concerns. Much of my concerns stemmed from the fact that, currently, there are no uniform medication rules, policies, etc. nationwide and no universally established and enforced set of guidelines and rules.

This problem has gone not only unsolved, but unaddressed, for far too long. Now, without a national policy, a governing body, real meat around the bone -- we are now talking about attacking the problem from a different standpoint. I agree -- but without real substance are we going to face more of the same? We can't deal with Trainer X, and now we have to deal with Owner Y.

Owners in general are in far greater position to litigate, and are more likely to do so. This could be a very slippery slope, but one that needs to be traveled down, but traveled with caution.

Eric