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Personally, I feel that any trainer who has more than 3 positive tests in his career should be inelligeble for the Hall of Fame.  We should be electing Great Horsemen,NOT Great Pharmacologists.

Comment by llsal

If I am not mistaken Pleasant Colony was eventually disqualified from purse money in the Kentucky Derby for some kind of substance being in his system. Also while not sticking up for trainers who run horses that they know they shouldnt one reason that horses run is the exorbitant cost of maintaining horses at the track. Seems like everyone at the track, track included, is out to make their fortune on the backs of owners.
March 23, 2009 at 9:24:31

Comment by citation

good subject and good posts. racing needs to clean up its image before it gets to the next level.steroids have been a problem from yearling sales to grade 1 races. has any horse ever been disqualified from the purse money in lets say a triple crown race or a breeders cup race? its a bit odd that no one has ever gotten caught cheating when the stakes are so high. a little hard for me to swallow.
March 10, 2009 at 10:58:23

Comment by horsetrader

I also think that the 3 strikes and your out idea is a good one. Too many trainers take chances as they don't think they'll get caught, and if they do the slap on the wrist is a mere opportunity to let the help run the barn while the trainer takes a vacation. Steroids should be banned period. However, pjmoats raises a goo point with the dangers of joint tapping and blocking. Lets consider that there has to be times that a trainer knows that he or she has pushed the envelope after tapping a horse and dropping the horse into a low level claimer hoping that the horse becomes someone elses expense. Now lets consider that the horse breaks down and has to be euthenised. Now think of an insurance payment. Is the trainer subject to a civil lawsuit if he knew that the horse was not truly fit to race? Lets take it one step further. What happens if the horse breaks down and takes another horse and two or three riders down with him. What if the riders are severly injured or worse? Is the trainer complicit in this ptractically criminal behavior? We all know that trainers sometimes choose bug boys for sore horses when they think that a journeyman won't let the sore horse run, perhaps even scratching the horse at the gate. Aside from the obvious moral obligation to another human being, shouldn't the trainer have some sort of fiduciary responsiblity to make the best effort to protect the clients investment while always considering the bad things that may happen?

Either way, the hall of fame should be a very high place and achievment. If racing wants to be respected as a sport, it has to take the drugs and corruption out of the equation. We know it goes on in all sports! Its how it is handled that sways public opinion.
March 10, 2009 at 10:48:56

Comment by pjmoats

You know I feel the same way. I do believe a horse that trains on for example clenbuterol could have accidental positives. When the help forgets to withold on proper day or hour. Same for bute and banamine. I don't think for a minute these enhance performance. The ones to watch out for are the steroids and stuff we don't even know about. I think these days with the competition what it is out here the trainers must be savy or the will not win many races. Steroid use should be banned period all of it. So in the end it depends what the infraction is? How do you stop the joint tapping that's an important one too!!!! Very dangerous for the jocks too.
March 10, 2009 at 1:39:38

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