Congress leans on horse racing over steroid use

WASHINGTON -- If the horse racing industry does not create a national governing body to regulate breeding and the use of steroids, Congress will likely step in, House members said Thursday.Most committee members and many witnesses at a House subcommittee meeting advocated banning the use of all steroids on racehorses. Many said a ban on all drugs is necessary, saying drugs like aspirin can mask other drugs."This hearing is a wake-up call for you," said Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla. "There is abuse in your industry. You know it better than I."Stearns added that if the industry does not create its own national governing body soon, the federal government will need to do it for them.State racing commissions regulate horse racing. In contrast, team sports such as football and basketball are regulated by central bodies -- the NFL and the NBA.Alexander M. Waldrop, president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said the industry is capable of making changes in its current state. He added that government involvement would create more problems."The last thing this industry needs is another layer of bureaucracy," he said in his statement. "A Department of Horse-Land Security funded by yet another tax on our long-suffering customers? No thanks."Members of the Commerce, Trade, Consumer Protection subcommittee, who called the hearing "Breeding, Drugs, and Breakdowns: The State of Thoroughbred Horseracing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred," began probing into the issue after the death of Eight Belles. After finishing second in this year's Kentucky Derby, the filly broke down shortly after the finish line and was euthanized on the track."Greed has trumped the health of the horse, the safety of the jockey, the strength of the breed and the integrity of the sport," said Rep. Edward Whitfield, R-Ky.On Tuesday, a committee of the Jockey Club that regulates the breed registry for all thoroughbreds in the U.S., issued its first set of recommendations since its formation after Eight Belles' death. It recommended a ban on anabolic steroids, equipment reforms and a ban on front toe grabs, which increase the likelihood of injury to a horse. Front toe grabs are attachments to horseshoes that improve traction.Richard Dutrow, trainer for Big Brown, winner of last month's Kentucky Derby and Preakness, did not show up to testify as scheduled, although the committee did receive his written testimony. Dutrow missed the hearing because of illness, said Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.Dutrow told reporters earlier this year that he gives his horses Winstrol, an anabolic steroid, on a monthly basis. Steroid use is legal in 28 of 38 states that hold thoroughbred racing."People have asked me why I do it," he said in his statement. "My observation is that it helps the horses eat better. Their coats brighten They're more alert. It helps them train."He added that he has won races in other countries without steroids, and if steroids are banned in the U.S, he will stop using them. Previously, Dutrow had said that he stopped giving Big Brown Winstrol before the Belmont on June 7 when the heavily favored horse finished last in his bid to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years. Big Brown was eased to the finish line by jockey Kent Desormeaux, though post-race and subsequent examinations could find no injuries.A panel of six horse industry experts -- Alan Marzelli, president of the Jockey Club; Richard Shapiro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board; Jack Van Berg, a Hall of Fame horse trainer; Randy Moss, an ESPN analyst who has covered horse racing for 30 years; Arthur Hancock, president of Stone Farm in Kentucky; and Jess Stonestreet Jackson of Stonestreet Farm in California -- said all performance-enhancing drugs should be banned in the industry.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)