Stearns Pursues National Horse Racing Board
With a spotlight firmly on the horse racing industry following the very public death of Eight Belles, Representative Cliff Stearns of Florida has prepared a bill which would establish a national horse racing commission, and a hearing was held to discuss the measure.
The new organization would standardize rules across the country, presumably starting with the controversial steroids issue, a practice which certain states allow.
While some compare the concept to the NBA or the NFL, those are voluntary groups which competitors are freely allowed to avoid when setting up their own structure, and in fact exclude membership to new entries. A commission would force all horse owners and trainers to abide by a nationally established policy.
Because of the horrific injuries suffered by some of the finest horses in recent Triple Crown races, Stearns questions the methods used in training and preparing horses to race.
A recent report by the Association of Racing Commissioners International stated 3035 horses have died at U.S. tracks in the past five years, an extraordinarily high rate of casualty.
Some horsemen argued that Congress had no business interfering in the industry, but Representative Edward Whitfield of Kentucky pointed out that Congress had amended the Wire Act to allow telephone betting on horses, passed the Interstate Horse Racing Act which allowed simulcast wagering, and at least attempted to exempt the industry from the UIGEA, although the efficacy of that exemption remains to be seen. He asserted if Congress had created the conditions by which horse racing profited, then Congress certainly had the right to oversee conditions.
Richard Dutrow, the controversial trainer of Big Brown who openly discussed his preference to train using steroids, failed to show to testify. Dutrow has been suspended and cited on several past occasions for medical improprieties involving his horse training methods.
