Jim Baumbach live blogged from the audiocast available here.
1:36 p.m.
Another vote was coming, so the Congressmen and women sped through the second panel and no one went after Waldrop. Shame. But there was one final highlight. After the hearing was officially adjourned, the microphones for the witnesses were again left on. And I heard one of them say, "I knew they would be short on us."
1:31 p.m.
Two questions and they haven't gone after Waldrop yet. Not good.
1:27 p.m.
Alexander Waldrop, CEO of National Thoroughbred Racing Association, is claiming there is no problem with the governing body in horse racing. "I stress to you the last thing this industry is another level" of bosses, he said. What a foof. This will get good, because clearly horse racing is a mess - everyone on the first panel said so - and now this guy is defending the system (or lack there of). Congress is going to eat him up.
1:19 p.m.
Time for witnesses' opening statements.
* Lawrence Soma, a professor for the School of of Veterinary Medicine at UPenn, spoke in jibberish doctor speak. Steroids are banned in Pa. He did say they started screening horses for steroids in Pa. and the percentage has dropped significantly. He's happy with their progress. "We're leveling the playing field," he said.
* Susan Stover, a vet from California, said she has performed studies on the deaths of race horses. She blamed many of the deaths on injuries that are prevalent before a race, and only get worse after repeated racing. She focused her opening statement on injury prevention.
* Wayne McIlwraith of Gail Holmes Equine Orthopedic Research Center also is talking about avoiding "catastrophic fractures" in horses. However, he started out by saying he didn't know how relevant everything will be considering the testimony they just heard. Meaning, injury prevention is a moot point if these horses are so doped up, and no one is stopping them.
* Mary Scollay, equine medical director of Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, said she is here to talk about the medical director's role on a race day, before and after the race, and the problems that present itself in terms of reporting injuries.
* Allie Conrad, executive director of Canter Mid-Atlantic, said she is an expert in rehabilitating horses and has to make decisions on whether a horse lives, etc. She basically accuses owners of not caring about their horses "when they can no longer perform."
Blah, blah, blah. All of this talk is just that talk - nothing can happen of note until there is a governing body that covers the entire sport, the topic of the morning session.
* Alexander Waldrop, CEO of National Thoroughbred Racing Association, says about uniform solutions, "I can't speak about the past, but the industry is making great strides on the national level." They are? Well maybe we'll get some good Q&A with this guy, if he doesn't think there's a problem with horse racing's setup.
12:51 p.m.
Witnesses for the second panel are doctors, injury experts and professors. You can see their names here. I imagine the hot topics will be the effects of steroids on horses and their thoughts of the deaths of race horses.
12:50 p.m.
First panel of witnesses have been excused.
There was nothing interesting said in the past 15 minutes of testimony.
12:35 p.m.
Oh my. I just realized there's a second panel of witnesses to this hearing. So this is going to be an all-day affair. Meanwhile, the Congressmen and women are just running around in circles right now. Basically, they're coming up with 100 different ways to ask why steroids are bad, why there is no governing body in horse racing, how the sport has reached this point, why federal involvement is not welcomed, etc. And this is with people who agree with them on almost every particular point...
12:31 p.m.
We're back on...
12:11 p.m.
Guess they're still on a break, unless my audio feed is permanently shut down.
11:37 a.m.
The audiocast just shut off. Congress must read my blog. I'm flattered.
11:34 a.m.
Oh, this is hilarious. They're taking a half hour break, but the audiocast is still going on. The witnesses are talking to each other and their microphones are still on, so I can hear their private conversations. Here's the link if you want to hear. This is really funny. Now I'm taping it to see if they say anything of note. They're basically congratulating each other on their comments. Maybe one of them will rip Dutrow...
11:27 a.m.
Everyone at the hearings are completely against steroids.
"Well, I can see why Mr. Dutrow didn't show up," Sterns said.
11:21 a.m.
From this point on I won't update with every question asked by the Congressmen and women, like I've done in the past with the baseball hearings. I'll give you the interesting ones, because I think the major points have already been hit on. Steroids will be banned. That's for sure. One of the witnesses - Van Berg, I think - called it "chemical warfare." Now it's just a matter of whether Congress will trust horse racing to create its own governing body or if Congress will order someone to do it for them.
11:16 a.m.
Schakowsky asked the witnesses if there should be a central governing body. Everyone agreed. She also asked if drugs should be banned from horse racing. Everyone again agreed. Wonder what Dutrow would have said...
11:12 a.m.
After hearing the witness give their takes on steroids and the lack of a governing body, it seems everyone is agreement: there's a problem here and they need to fix it. And they don't seem to be opposed to Congress making sure it happens. So the hearing could end right now.
Man, it sure would be interesting to hear from someone in the industry who is in support of drugs. Doesn't Rick Dutrow, Big Brown's trainer, give steroids to his horses? Oh that's right. He was invited and called in sick. Oh wait, he didn't call in sick. He told reporters he's sick and never called back to Congress. Yuck.
10:48 a.m.
Meanwhile, the witnesses are giving their opening statements.
* Alan Marzelli, president and COO of The Jockey Club, said it is his hope that steroid use will not be used beginning in 2009.
* Richard Shapiro, chairman of California Horse Racing Board, is coming down of trainers for creating the pharmaceutical / chemical horse instead of the "old tested method of oats, hay and water." Shapiro said, "The game has become more horse breeding instead of horse racing." He says there's no place for anabolic steroids, but even worse is the lack of a governing body. "Our system is dysfunctional," he said.
* Jack Van Berg, 72-year-old longtime successful trainer, believes there should a strong drug-testing program implemented and he detailed how it should work. "It would be in the best interest of this sport ... to abolish all medication," he said.
* Randy Moss, ESPN analyst, started by saying, "I am not Randy Moss the football player." Good thing we cleared that up. "No other federation in the world allows horses to race with as many medications," he said. So far all the witness agree drugs are a problem in horse racing. Too bad someone who disagrees is not on the witness list. Oh, wait, Rick Dutrow is on the witness list. But he's - cough, cough, sick.
* Arthur Hancock, president of Kentucky-based Stone Farm, said his primary worry is "the complete lack of uniformity on many issues," specially the drug regulations that vary from state-to-state.
* Jess Stonestreet Jackson of Stonestreet Farm also stressed the need for unified leadership. (This is me talking: it really is nuts they don't have a governing body. It's like MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL without commissioners.) Jackson said people in horse racing always say they can handle this themselves. "We are experts on delay," he said. He asked Congress to step in and take action. "We need zero tolerance of drugs," he said. "For centuries horses ran without drugs."
10:39 a.m.
Ahhhh, take that, Dutrow! Jan Schakowsky just brought down the hammer on him.
After introducing the witnesses, here's what she said:
"I'd like to note the empty space for him, the trainer for Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown. Apparently Mr. Dutrow was too ill to travel to Washington D.C. and will not testify with our other witnesses today. Unfortunately Mr. Dutrow never informed this committee of his illness and despite numerous attempts to reach Mr. Dutrow he never notified on the committee staff that he would not be attending this morning's hearing. I'm disappointed by his absence and I'm disappointed he did not feel the need to notify this subcommittee directly of his decision, given Mr. Dutrow's stature in this sport. I think he would have been a valuable addition to this public dialogue. I hope in the future when Mr. Dutrow recovers from his illness, he will join us and be a part of the solution to clean up the sport of horse racing."
Maybe they should send George Mitchell after Dutrow...
10:37 a.m.
Here are the members of this subcommittee. Among the interesting characters: Edolphus Towns (Clemens' best friend), Michael Weiner (the guy who held a conference call to say Congress shouldn't have held the Clemens-McNamee hearings) and Vito Fossella (the guy who has some notable personal problems lately).
10:33 a.m.
Someone else is talking but I missed his name and it doesn't matter - he's had nothing good to say.
10:30 a.m.
Unlike the Clemens VS. McNamee hearings, there is no dissension among the Democrats and Republicans. They all agree so far - there's a problem in horse racing. And so far the prevailing point is they want the horse racing industry to create a governing body that will in turn put together an acceptable drug-testing program.
10:26 a.m.
Our third opening statement comes from Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.).
"I say this to the people in the room. This hearing is a wakeup call for you."
This is going to be good. They're really going to go after these guys.
"We don't want to regulate you. We want you to regulate yourselves."
BTW: This guy is from Ocala, which is home to the Steinbrenner horse farm.
"I just want to know. Is this a freak accident with Eight Belles? ... I don't want you to work with us. Work without us!"
"There are trainers in this industry that give their horses cocaine to improve their performance, and all they receive is a slap on the wrist!"
10:23 a.m.
Ed Whitfield (R-Ky) is now giving his five-minute opening statement and expressing his concern for the deaths on the track, and how there's conflicting reports on how many have died in action.
"The fact is we don't really know the answer to that because there is not an uniform tracking system," he said.
He mentioned one horse that died recently whose official status on the race results was "scratched."
"No one knows how big a problem this is," he said.
10:21 a.m.
I believe The Nameless Woman is Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).
10:17 a.m.
If anyone finds a channel where this is being aired, please pass it along.
The woman who is speaking, and her name remains a mystery right now, is harping on the drug use in horse racing, and how horses are being harmed by this.
"Does horse racing need a central governing body?" nameless Congresswoman asked. "Is the racing industry capable of making reforms on its own? ... Unlike any other gambling entity in America, they are allowed to transport their gambling across state lines ... by simulcast betting."
"Work with us to clean up your sport," she said to the witnesses.
She just said she "used to own a thoroughbred that performed on the track." Interesting. Wish she had a name.
10:13 a.m.
I just learned there's a C-SPAN 2? How about that? Of course neither channel is carrying the horse racing hearings. Thus, I'm going to have to listen to the audiocast. I just connected to it and a woman is talking about the death of Eight Belles. This should be an interesting live blog to produce.
9:59 a.m.
It does not appear ESPN will be airing these hearings. So my best bet will be C-SPAN (I think their switchboard will be like, 'oh my, someone's watching us!') or the audiocast from the subcommittee's Web site.
9:45 a.m.
Here's the witness list. (PDF)
9:30 a.m.
When I agreed to live blog today's congressional hearing on horse racing, I did so with an eye on Rick Dutrow Jr., who clearly was going to be the star witness. He's Big Brown's controversial trainer, and our people in Congress no doubt were going to press him on his use of Winstrol and maybe even Big Brown.
But what do you know - Dutrow called in sick today. Or should I say it like this: "sick." And now we're left with a hearing without the star witness. Too bad.
I'll still be here live blogging it, trying hard to make it interesting if it turns out to be a snooze. We'll see. The fun starts at 10 a.m.
(Hopefully it's on TV.)
BTW, I wonder if Clemens is sitting at home saying to himself: "Called in sick. Genius! Why didn't you think of that, Rusty!"
Comments (7)
I have been trying to find someone in the horse racing industry who will listen to my opinion about thoroughbred racing. These horses are being raced too young and their bones are not formed. When owners are beginning training these animals are only babies. Horses are usually starting their training at two years old.
It would not hurt the racing industry to run 4 or 5 year olds. Everyone would still get their money and the horses would benefit healthwise.
Pretty near every horse that is race whether it be thoroubred, standardbred or any other type have come off the track with leg injuries. I truly believe that the racing of these young animals is cruel and inhumane. Get some common sense laws passed for an age requirement.
sincerely,
Joyce Marble
We have been racing 2YO's for over a century with nary a problem. Why does one freak accident cause everyone to get into a furor? It's been fine for over a 100 years, it will be fine for another 100.
I have been in racing over 35 years. I have really noticed a change.
The early years horses were most always turned out for a break from racing whether a health issue or just a break. They do get sour and do need a break.
Nowadays there is a drug(legal or illegal) ailiment they may have.
25 years ago you would hear turbulators (whirlpools) running. You would maybe just see a groom rubbing 3 to 4 horses. He could spend time grooming the horse and catch a problem coming on.
Exercise riders are a key in dianosing a problem if exsperianced.But many cannot tell if a horse is off.
What I have seen in the past 10 years is discouraging. Now you may see 1 groom caring for 8 horses!! Racing has been more like a race horse assembly line!
Studys have proven that training a 2 year old is a benifit for their bones but the key is the trainer and help knowing the babys limits,when to back off on training or to race.
So many factors in racing,but yes stricter drug rules and testing would benfit. Even many years some would use drugs to move a
horse up,as long as money is on the line you will always have bad eggs trying to get the edge with a drug!
I wish the death of Eight Belles had been brought up before Congress. Although there appears to be full disclosure on her autopsy reports, there was not.
Why was a toxicology testing/report not done? Toxicology is an normal part of any autopsy, human or animal. And the blood found in her lungs was "due to euthanasia?" I would question this explanation.
There are a few articles that state Eight Belles ran the Kentucky Derby on pain killing Bute and on an anti-inflammatory drug.
The horse racing industry, vets and all, protect each other...not the horses. It is all about greed and money. Billions are made and little goes to the welfare of the horses. Race horses suffer much abuse and die. Too many go to slaughter along with the thousands of American horses who are brutally slaughtered every year, also for greed. From the stable to the table...European tables. Americans do not eat our horse flesh.
Again, why has the media not probed deeper into the death of Eight Belles? Fear of retaliation? A horse does not just collapse like that for an unknown reason. She collapsed for a reason other than fractured ankles. Her ankles fractured as she went down. At least her death has spurred Congress to do what was needed years and years ago. But it took the death of a high profile horse to get the attention of the media...and Congress. Eight Belles and the deaths and injuries of other outsanding TB's are now representing the thousands of "lesser" horses who race every day with all they have, and die for their effort. Disposable to the wealthy owners who only use these beautiful animals for big $$$.
RIP Eight Belles. Your death is now helping all your companion fillies and colts who risk their lives every day on the race track at the hands of irresponsible owners and trainers...and those with little or no humanity...or conscience.
Ron, while I agree with much of what you say, I don't agree with all of what you say. Obviously you know much more about the industry than I, but I don't think "all" owners and trainers are greedy and have no love for their horses. In particular, I take issue regards your comments about vets.
I think the biggest problem with all of the media hype is that many of the people reporting on it don't have a clue what goes on in thoroughbred racing and have been overreacting since the unfortunate, but merely accidental death of Eight Belles.
Regarding federal regulation of the racing/breeding of thoroughbreds - never trust Congressman Whitfield. This panel was hand-picked by him, no doubt, to appease his wife's employer, the Humane Society of the United States.
Also, Whitfield has strong ties through Republican political contributions to others who either were called before this panel, or who are in thoroughbred racing and breeding.
It's a sham hearing to get attention and force an issue; however, the feds really don't have a place in this fight.
People who think that Eight Belles' death was an isolated incident and that her death was accidental really need to become better informed before they post on this link.
Eight Belles was just one of hundreds, even thousands of race horses who will die on North
American race tracks this year. The only reason you know about Eight Belles is because she was euthanized during the Kentucky Derby. You don't know about all of the others.
Her broken legs were not just an accident either. They were almost surely and at least partly the result of a series of microfractures accumulated over many training sessions and a few races. Racing injuries are usaully due to the accumulaltive effect of being raced too hard, too often, too young.