This will effectively kill horse racing

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by tector

No, horse racing will have committed assisted suicide because it has allowed itself to be run as outlaw enterprise that, not incidentally, also is wagered on by the public. If casinos or lotteries tolerated the level of cheating that is routinely accepted in horse racing, there would be an avalanche of indictments and people sitting in the graybar motel. But horse racing cannot even muster the most basic of standards to protect the bettor (and, I might add, the horses).

I hate the Feds more than most, but this is entirely self-inflicted and was wholly predictable (I know since I predicted it 10 years ago).

The issue with this logic is that "cheating" is ill-defined in this sport. Much of what is defined as "cheating" more closely resembles a traffic violation than an actual crime. This misrepresentation surely is self-inflicted as a large portion of the industry has very little clue about the issue and even less interest in trying to educate themselves or the wagering public. The public's opinion has been formed by turf writers who lazily base the lions share of their columns on half truths and rumors and because the industry as a whole does nothing to refute this and in many ways supports these misguided opinions as truth then we arrive at this point.

The idea that horses should be immune to physical issues which modern medicine can address is idiotic yet pretty much exactly what is being proposed and supported. The fact that illegal medications which should be the focus are indeed already banned or illegal seems to be lost.

[Riot]

A micro-overage of clenbuterol is illegal on race day, and should be, but a micro-overage is not "cheating" in the least, as it doesn't, couldn't possible affect a horses performance. Yet it's portrayed - incorrectly - as a cheating horror in the uneducated and undifferentiated racing press and fan base, who don't know what the drugs are or what they can and cannot do.

Some horses need daily medication for their allergies and small routine aches and pains - we can't take that away. They are elite athletes and deserve to be treated as such.

Horse racing isn't unique as far as using drugs, legal or illegal. Abuse exists in all equine disciplines. The FEI and USEF manages to have very tough medication rules, while recognizing therapeutic meds are needed (just went to a rules update conference at Rolex last week in fact).

Such a strict rule would decimate the claiming ranks, IMO. Med regulation can be done better. But this rule isn't it.

But horse racing cannot even muster the most basic of standards to protect the bettor (and, I might add, the horses).

I think that is a really unfair assessment of the current state of drug regulation and testing.

[tector]

Plainly, the proposed regs are an overreaction. But the door to that overraction was opened wide by the laissez faire "regulation" of the issue for decades. Why is Doug O'Neill still in this sport? "Dick" Dutrow? You want to sell me some BS that they are just "helping" the horses?

GTFOOH. Apologists for the status quo have been the greatest detriment to this sport for decades.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by tector

Plainly, the proposed regs are an overreaction. But the door to that overraction was opened wide by the laissez faire "regulation" of the issue for decades. Why is Doug O'Neill still in this sport? "Dick" Dutrow? You want to sell me some BS that they are just "helping" the horses?

GTFOOH. Apologists for the status quo have been the greatest detriment to this sport for decades.

I wouldn't have Dutrow still in the sport, so neither BS or apologist here. The current state of medication detection has far outpaced actions of the sport on the results and findings. Jurisdictions differ in how they treat participants. The medication rules hardly need adjustment as much as the sport as a whole needs a cohesiveness rather than the individual and varying fifdoms of present.

Yes, the proposed regs are an overreaction, and terrible for the sport. Not even a viably preferable alternative to "doing nothing".

[Kasept]

Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act

Section by Section Summary

Section 1. Short Title

The 􏰅Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act of 2011􏰆

Section 2. Findings

This section includes findings that highlight the need to amend the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 to prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Horseracing is a $40 billion industry that generates roughly 400,000 domestic jobs.

While performance enhancing drugs are banned in other sports and in horseracing in other countries, there are no uniform rules in the United States for the use of performance-enhancing drugs in horseracing.

Widespread use of performance enhancing drugs in horseracing adversely affects interstate commerce, creates unfair competition, deceives horse buyers and the wagering public, weakens the breed of the American Thoroughbred, is detrimental to international sales of the American Thoroughbred, and threatens the safety and welfare of horses and jockeys.

In order to protect and further the US horseracing industry, it is necessary to prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs in interstate horseracing.

Section 3. Prohibitions on Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs

This section adds new provisions to the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, which governs off track (􏰅simulcast&#1113094 and Internet wagering on horseracing, to ban performance enhancing drugs and require minimum penalties for doping violations.

To provide off track or Internet wagering on races subject to the Interstate Horseracing Act, a host racing association must ban performance enhancing drugs, require testing the winner of each race plus one additional horse, and have minimum penalties for doping violations.

Performance Enhancing Drugs

The term 􏰅performance enhancing drug􏰆 means any substance capable of affecting the performance of a horse at any time by acting on the nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, reproductive system, musculoskeletal system, blood system, immune system (other than licensed vaccines against infectious
agents), or endocrine system of the horse.

Third Party Testing

Testing for performance enhancing drugs must be carried out by an independent lab that is accredited to ISO standard 17025 and includes testing for performance-enhancing drugs within the scope of its accreditation.

Penalties

Any person who knowingly dopes a horse, or races a horse under the influence of performance enhancing drugs, is subject to civil penalties and suspensions from all activities related to interstate horseracing:

1st Violation 􏰈 $5,000 civil penalty 􏰈 180 day suspension
2nd Violation 􏰈 $20,000 civil penalty 􏰈 1 year suspension
3rd Violation 􏰈 $50,000 civil penalty Permanently banned

A horse that is doped or raced under the influence of a performance enhancing drug is suspended from interstate horseraces:

Multiple violations in different states will count against a person or horse􏰇s total violations.

State Racing Commission Enforcement

State racing commissions may enter into agreements with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce the anti-doping provisions of the Interstate Horseracing Act.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Enforcement

The FTC can enforce the anti-doping provisions of the Interstate Horseracing Act in states that do not have enforcement agreements with the FTC or in cases where the FTC determines that a state racing commission is not adequately enforcing those anti-doping provisions. The FTC shall treat such violations as unfair and deceptive trade practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Private Right of Action

A person may bring a civil action to ensure compliance with the anti-doping rules of the Interstate Horseracing Act.

1st Violation 􏰈 180 day suspension
2nd Violation 􏰈 1 year suspension
3rd Violation 􏰈 2 year suspension