This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 11:18 am and is filed under Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
A new controversy has arisen out of the Eight Belles tragedy from last weekend’s Kentucky Derby. Apparently suspicion has mounted that Eight Belles had been given performance enhancing drugs - primarily steroids - which would account both for her unnaturally large size and for her two subsequent broken ankles.
The trainers have defended themselves stating that in no way was the horse ever given illegal growth substances and have allowed an autopsy to go through which should give a complete answer to the situation.
It is amazing to note that steroid usage in Horses is only banned in the state of Iowa and, while Horse Racing officials have begun considering and moving towards an outright ban, the practice is still fairly commonplace. The Jockey Club has also come out to oppose the use of steroids
Even more baffling is that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of these steroids with few prohibitions. While it is understandable that such animals, like humans, would need anabolic steroids due to illness or condition, it seems rather negligent to allow these dangerous substances to be used at will on an animal of known fragility, and the harsh consequences of a break. “The U.S. is the only major racing country that allows the unregulated used of anabolic steroids.” ESPN.
So, if so many groups are opposing the use of steroids in the sport of Race Horsing, why has so little been done about it?
No Backbone: The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has no back-bone. What is their response? Only allow 4 types of anabolic steroids, not within 30 days of a race, and only in the states of Indiana, Kentucky, and California. Sure these are hotbeds of Horse Racing, but the regulations themselves are nearly impossible to enforce because it is difficult to determine with absolute authority when the steroids were administered.
Limited Funding. It is estimated that an additional $15 million will be needed to thoroughly test horses for violations. This may seem insubstantial in the world of sports, but it represents a more than 50% increase in the total amount spent on testing at this time. It will be hard to find individuals to cough up for regulation that is largely unnoticed and will, frankly, lower the speeds and abilities of many of the horses that have wowed us in past.
Gambling. There is too much incentive for collusion. If an owner wants to see his horse win, and the hundreds of thousands of dollars behind it are tied to individuals who know that owner, you can be certain that there will be a mounting pressure to dope up before a race. Imagine if Pete Rose got to walk around with handful of amphetamines right before a Reds Baseball Game.
I don’t oppose horse race gambling at all, I don’t oppose the use of euthanasia on horses, but I do oppose the wanton disregard of a horse’s life and health vis-a-vis the use of steroids. Shame on the trainers who use it, and shame on those in power who do nothing to stop it.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Eight Belles, Steroids, and Horse Racing’s Not So Secret Practice of Doping….
Everyone knows that euthanasia is an unfortunate but necessary part of horse racing. However, the unbridled use of steroids is increasing the size of horses disproportionate to ankle strength, and subsequently endangering the animals, jockeys, and dign…
May 26th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
[...] used of anabolic steroids"… horse + Steroids = Bigger Bodies, More Breaks, and More Deaths.http://www.ath1337.net/eight-belles-steroids-and-horse-racings-not-so-secret-practice-of-doping/Eight Belles Racehorse - Topics - NY Daily NewsRelated Articles from NY Daily News and the Web - NY [...]
May 30th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
are there no other ways of saving the horse? can’t they operate it in a surgery room? I mean they are mammals too so they are also similar to us…so there may be possibilities that what humans can do to humans can also be done to animals such as surgery… right
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:30 am
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July 7th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Horse Racing Tips…
Notable Irish trainers include Dermot Weld, John Oxx and Aidan O\’Brien….
July 9th, 2008 at 3:19 am
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July 10th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
steroid use in sportsEight Belles, Steroids, and Horse Racing’s Not So Secret Practice of Doping.
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July 14th, 2008 at 5:44 am
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July 14th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Horse Racing Statistics…
Steer clear of Handicaps . In theory, all horses are given the same winning chance….
August 21st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
poor eight belles,
were there no other choices? like going to the vet and have that horse a support for its legs or something?
November 7th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I never bid believe in that one.