Punishing Horse Owner's For Drug Positives Is Idiotic

Detailed Regulatory Initiatives by ORC There are a lot of positive steps but suspending a horse who tests positive to punish the owner is completely ridiculous.

"The purpose of these rules is to encourage owners to conduct proper due diligence in selecting their trainers.”

What a crock. Why doesn't the ORC just come out and say "beware of this list of trainers?" "Don't do business with trainers who have tested positive before because you should know better." How many trainers who get a positive are nailed for the first time? Probably most of those nailed are first time violators, so how does due diligence help?

My thoughts from the Pace Advantage Forum:

I can see a horse getting suspended for 45 days, even though the illegal drug will most likely be out of the system prior to that (not EPO though), and that this might make the public more confident, but to blame and penalize the owner for the trainer or the vet is ridiculous, it is like blaming the parent if his or her kid winds up getting bad medical or dental care by a doctor or dentist.

How many people are at the track on a given day that are related to or friends of owners? How many go just because their friend or relative has a horse out? Aren't these people potential owners or at least gamblers down the road?

Making a rule that deters ownership of horses is imbecilic in today's climate.

I'm all for getting rid of all or most of the drugs, and fining and suspending trainers or vets who violate the sport much heavier than they fined and suspended now. But unless the owner is proven to have knowledge of shady druggings, he or she should be left alone.

How about a new rule that allows the public to have knowledge of all vet work? This of course would include potential owners as well.

Hall of fame trainer Jack Van Berg blames drugs for ruining racing.

He says drugs ranging from legal medications like steroids and clenbuterol to prohibited substances like erythropoietin (EPO) are a blight on the game, punishing the owners who pay the bills, the bettors who play the races, and most of all, the horses themselves.

"Just open your eyes and look around. You know how many trainers would still be winning races if they couldn't use medication? Some of them would starve to death. The veterinary bills are as big as the day money (training bills) for a lot of them. You watch and check how much these veterinarians are making on the backstretch now. They're becoming wealthy.

Harness racing has already driven many owners out, because as Jack Ross states in the article (about thoroughbreds): "You got no shot if you don't juice them up."

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