Steroid Probe Targets Four-Legged Athletes

(AP)  Four-legged athletes are joining their two-legged counterparts as part of a congressional probe into steroids in sports.

The president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association has agreed to testify in front of a House panel investigating the effects of performance-enhancing drugs.

Although most of the focus to date has been on baseball and other team sports, thoroughbred racing also is trying to enact a national ban on performance-enhancing drugs, at least for the days leading up to races.

"I think the perception is drug use in racing is worse now than maybe it's ever been," said Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky. "There have been many individual veterinarians, prominent breeders and owners who are quite frustrated."

NTRA president Alexander Waldrop will join representatives from Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA and NHL, as well as officials with college and high school sports, at the Feb. 27 hearing in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's panel on commerce, trade and consumer protection.

Whitfield is the top Republican on the subcommittee.

Waldrop's spokesman said he was traveling Friday and couldn't immediately be reached. In a statement, Waldrop said, "The NTRA welcomes this opportunity to continue its dialogue with Congress on the matter of medication in pari-mutuel horse racing."

While Waldrop and other racing officials have spoken with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the hearing will provide a more public approach to addressing the issue.

Last year, a trade association that represents state horse racing commissions agreed to a model rule that calls for steroid testing to be adopted nationwide no later than December 2008. While the stipulation likely won't immediately provide a blanket ban on steroids, the tests will be designed to make sure horses didn't receive injections within at least a month before a race.

Scot Waterman, executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, said steroid shots once were relatively common and somewhat benign, providing a one-time jolt to horses that weren't responding well to training. Now, some trainers are trying to put the animals through steroid regimens that could affect competition and ultimately harm the animals, Waterman said.

"Given what is happening in other major league sports, we didn't feel like we could bury our head in the sand on this," Waterman said.

Some states have already implemented steroid testing, but Kentucky is among those still researching options. Lisa Underwood, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, said it's unlikely the rules will be in place in time for this year's Kentucky Derby.

"We do agree with the premise that anabolic steroids do need to be regulated, but we want to make sure it's done correctly," Underwood said.

Horse racing officials point out that their athletes for years have been subjected to far more drug testing than those in any other major sport. Typically, the winner and a random selection of other competitors goes to the testing barn after a race.

But the focus was usually on other performance-enhancers rather than steroids, which were perceived to have only a minor affect improving racing ability.

"Horses basically are middle-distance athletes," said Larry Bramlage, a veterinarian with Rood and Riddle hospital in Lexington. "They're not sprinters or weight lifters or power athletes. It does make them stronger, but it's nowhere near the affect you have with the power events like how far you can throw or hit a ball."

Bramlage says he supports a ban to bring racing into line with other sports, but he predicts there will be some fallout. For example, geldings often are given steroids to make up for lost testosterone, Bramlage says, and a steroid ban could effectively push them out of the racing picture.

[blackyowe]

Sad and sick sport is horse racing. It should no longer be legal. Horses are being pushed so hard their limbs are snapping like twigs yet the money flows and the sport goes on like nothing has changed since 1850. I saw it happen in Erie, PA and its ugly to see a winning horse then shot because its leg is dangling like a wind sock. Shame on those who say they love horses and continue to be involved in this twisted game.

[grammawhamma]

LOL!! blazercoach that was funny.

[neobrian-2009]

Yea,Why regulate ANY Sports ?
Now it is clear why the interest in steroids, it has nothing to do with human health concerns, but is only out of concern for the suckers who bet on sports, how idiotically overblown, protecting the right to be a sucker doesn''''t need to be legislated.

Posted by brianbwb at 12:51 AM : Feb 16, 2008
------------------People bet on baseball,football,basketball,hockey,....No need to regulate any of these crime ridden sports,..

[brianbwb-2009]

Now it is clear why the interest in steroids, it has nothing to do with human health concerns, but is only out of concern for the suckers who bet on sports, how idiotically overblown, protecting the right to be a sucker doesn''t need to be legislated.

[neobrian-2009]

Giacomo,..
Never won a race,..Wins the KY Derby,...Never to be heard from again,..??

[blazercoach1]

I can''t wait to see the Congressional Hearings on this one: "Mr. Horse, have you ever...knowingly or unknowingly...taken performance enhancing drugs?"

"Naaaaay."