Op/Ed Feedback for July 9

In response to Eric Hamelback, July 8.

JOE GORAJEC:

After reading Eric Hamelback's July 7, 2016 Op/Ed piece, I decided that the perspective of a regulator would be helpful in this dialogue.

Having been the Executive Director of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission for 25 years (1990-2015), I was on the front line of regulatory policy and enforcement both in Indiana and nationally.

During that time, I served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Racing Commissioners' International (RCI) for several years and was its Chairman in 2008.

Although my opinions are counter to most of those expressed by Mr. Hamelback, I'll focus this letter on his assertion that the Horse Racing Integrity Act addresses “a problem that many would agree is nonexistent.”

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The status quo in racing regulation allows horsemen to cheat with impunity in most states. The failure of the majority of state racing commissions to adopt and enforce credible out of competition programs have left honest horsemen at the mercy of their integrity-challenged colleagues.

Unscrupulous horsemen know that (in most states), blood doping agents, certain anabolic steroids and repartitioning

drugs (like ractopamine and zilpaterol) can be administered while the horse is in training and still have a performing enhancing effect on race day. Unfortunately, these drugs will go undetected in a post-race testing program.

Timing is everything. As long as these drugs are adroitly administered, these horsemen need not worry.

They have found their “edge,” and with the status quo, they will have it forever!

To the “many” that supposedly agree that our industry's problem is “nonexistent,” I have a question:

Are you comfortable and proud of the fact that nations such as France, Hong Kong and England do 10%, 11% and 12% of their testing via out of competition testing while that number is about 1% in the U.S.?

Call me “old school” but I learned at a young age from my parents that “cheaters never prosper.”

Or at least they shouldn't.

This just one of many reasons that I believe that the future of horse racing lies in the Horse Racing Integrity Act.

Joe Gorajec is a member of the Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA). He is also a consultant for the Horse Racing Integrity Coalition. Last month, Gorajec was appointed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to their newly created Horse Racing Advisory Council.

CARRIE BROGDEN:

Dear. Mr. Hamelback,

Those of us that love and are passionate about this industry and want it to thrive and survive like it has in other countries around the globe are motivated by one thing that we cannot seem to accomplish ourselves. We want to get rid of the race day drugs. We need to stop studying the drugs, justifying the drugs and let go of the culture of drugs in our sport. Until we stop sticking needles in the necks of almost every horse the day it runs… well , how could we possibly create new fans for our sport? The U.S. is the exception, not the rule. If U.S.-breds in countries all over the world can run and win without race day drugs in Australia, England, Ireland, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, etc. why can they not do it in their home country? The results are speaking if we just would all listen. We need to get rid of the race day drugs to have a clean product, sounder horses and a better reputation. Until this changes, it will be the same slow decline that I have witnessed over the last 15 years and we have the greatest product of all: the horse!

Carrie Brogden
Machmer Hall
WHOA Supporter

ARTHUR HANCOCK:

That was a very disingenuous Op/Ed by Eric Hamelback of the HBPA, the so-called “Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association”…  If that's who they really are, how can they object to the Coalition for Horseracing Integrity working for animal welfare in tandem with the Humane Society of the United States?  Why shouldn't our industry members confer with HSUS for the “benevolent protection” of our horses?   Shouldn't equine welfare be a primary concern?  Recent polls overwhelmingly show that our racing fans think so. “Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association”?   Really?

Arthur Hancock