[RC] Congress to Examine Horse Racing - Karen Standefer
Article in Horse.com (Originally published at
BloodHorse.com.)
The United States House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer
Protection has scheduled a hearing--"Breeding, Drugs, and Breakdowns: The
State of Thoroughbred Horseracing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred
Racehorse"--for June 19 in Washington, D.C.
According to a June 11 release from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce,
the hearing will look at "commercial breeding practices that emphasize
speed and precocity over durability, the prevalence of performance-enhancing
drugs and other medications, track surfaces, and maintenance of the
tracks."
The subcommittee in May announced its intentions to hold a hearing after the
filly Eight Belles was injured and was subsequently euthanized after the
Kentucky Derby May 3. It also noted other high-profile catastrophic injuries:
Barbaro in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, and George Washington in last year's
Breeder's Cup Classic.
The June 11 release said such injuries "point to a persistent and
widespread problem, raising significant questions about the sport and its
governance. The hearing therefore will also examine the fact that horse racing
lacks a central regulatory authority like other sports leagues such as the
National Football League and Major League Baseball, and consequently has been
very slow to address longstanding problems plaguing the sport."
U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat who chairs the subcommittee, and
U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, a Kentucky Republican who serves as ranking member of
the subcommittee, said the June 19 hearing will help determine whether
"special status" granted to horse racing under the federal Interstate
Horseracing Act of 1978 is still warranted.
Rush and Whitfield sent letters May 22 to five officials in racing asking for
responses to various questions about breeding practices, drug use, and
racetrack safety. The officials are with The Jockey Club, Association of Racing
Commissioners International, Churchill Downs Inc., Magna Entertainment Corp.,
and the New York Racing Association.
The following is a "witness list" for the June 19 hearing, more
details of which will be available soon.
Panel I: Alan Marzelli, president and chief executive officer of The Jockey
Club; Richard Shapiro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board; Arthur
Hancock, a Thoroughbred owner/breeder; Randy Moss, analyst for ESPN; Hall of
Fame trainer Jack Van Berg; and trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., trainer of 2008 Derby
and Preakness winner Big Brown.
Panel II: Dr. Sue Stover, veterinarian at the University of California-Davis;
Dr. Larry Soma, veterinarian at the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Mary
Scollay, recently hired as Kentucky's equine medical director; Dr. Wayne
McIlwraith, veterinarian at Colorado State University; and Alex Waldrop,
president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
