Friday, September 02, 2011

“Settling” for Three Grade 1s

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, September, 1, 2011--I expect to get an argument on this, but not if one considers the new normal: On balance, the racing has been first rate all meeting long.

With the exception of early domination by Team Todd, equipped with his gang of two-year-olds and Mike Repole leading-owner dropdowns, early results were a bit monotonous. Then the wealth began to be distributed a little more evenly.

Chad Brown emerged as a force, and there were a number of other live outfits--the second-start-at-meet Asmussen runners, anything saddled by Mike Hushion, just to name two--livened up the parimutuel action considerably.

With the exception of a handful of days, the weatherman helped keep most turf races right where the belonged. But let’s be fair and give P. J. Campo a little credit here, too.

It’s become more than fashionable to knock NYRA‘s Vice-President of Racing, making him the poster child for the decline of quality racing in New York. If you want to believe that’s the case, know that he had plenty of help.

In the main, fans would rather bet on larger fields of less than stellar horses than smaller fields full of quality, graded stakes notwithstanding, of course.

Campo has filled these cards admirably considering what he has to work with. And didn’t it seem for a while that every other race ended in a blanket finish?

There's more to good racing than top horses; the races themselves need to be as competitive as possible. A creatively written condition book helps achieve that goal.

Fans approved by voting with their dollars. On-track betting handle has been up marginally virtually every week, bucking long-standing national trends. Somebody likes the product.

Something else, too. All-sources handle has remained flat, fairly amazing once you consider that the $44 million kicked in by New York City-OTB each of the last two years is but a distant memory. This gives flat a good name.

Proof positive that the racing has been good and exciting is the fact this ballgame is almost over. Just like that: It’s as if 40 days were compressed into the old 24-day schedule. Whoosh, and it’s gone.

Having said this, I’m a little disappointed with how the final Saturday stakes events have shaken out.

I’m going to get to see Harve De Grace all right, but even though she’s taking on males on the Woodward, it wasn’t the matchup I was hoping for.

I wanted Harve De Grace vs. Blind Luck in the Personal Ensign, But Harve De Grace’s connections weren’t all that anxious to meet Blind Luck at 10 furlongs, or even any other filly in the Personal Ensign for that matter.

With the Ladies Classic at nine furlongs, and with a hoped for victory in the Woodward, Harve De Grace would be legitimate Horse of the Year material if she won those two events, beating her rival in the process.

The Woodward was good enough for Rachel Alexandra, after all, it would be good enough for Harve De Grace, right?

Not necessarily. Rachel was a three-year-old when she won the Woodward, and had a race called the Preakness tucked away in the pocket of her hindquarters.

Similarly, however, Harve De Grace has her Blind Luck, the way Rachel had her Zenyatta. That was a close and highly contentious battle, just like this one figures to be.

Meanwhile, we won’t lay the entire burden in the lap of Rick Porter, owner of Harve De Grace. After all, Jerry Hollendorfer made overtures about running in the Pacific Classic, then very quietly went in another direction.

I was looking forward to seeing Sidney’s Candy in the Woodward, and why not? He’s won graded stakes going long on three surfaces; dirt, turf and synthetic.

He made his first start since the WinStar purchase winning the grassy G2 Fourstardave. But when no one challenged the speedster early in that race, in the end it had all the drama of a public workout for pay.


The Woodward I thought would provide a gauge on the older horse division which, a couple of exceptional moments aside, has lacked definition. Also, it might have provided a clue as to whether 10 furlongs was within his scope in the manner he handled nine.

It turns out that his trainer is not all that anxious to answer the question at this moment either, unless he figures he can win the Grade with his deep bench.

“The Woodward and the Forego are very attractive races and Sidney’s Candy is a horse who is so good at all these things,” said Todd Pletcher. “But we felt the seven-eighths [of the Forego] was a little more comfortable distance...”

Never want to get uncomfortable if you can help it, but maybe it’s a learning process for the man who only has raced this star pupil once. If distance is the question, then the G1 Cigar Mile or Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile would fit more snugly than the Classic would.

So it turns out that without either one of the divisional stars, the Personal Ensign is a relatively easy way for any member of the field to add a Grade 1 to her resume; win, place or show.

Harve De Grace, meanwhile, will supply the drama in the Woodward. That makes the Forego the most dramatic race of the day, featuring a meeting between the aforementioned Sidney’s Candy and Jackson Bend, winner of the extremely deep James Marvin.

Jackson Bend has trained like a wild horse for Nick Zito since that tough seven furlongs.

So, I guess I’ll just have to settle for three straight Grade 1s on a Saturday afternoon in Saratoga. Someone has to.





Comments (5)

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Retired Vet Speaks Out on Lasix, Part II

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, August 31, 2011--While the sport’s two premiere destination meets reaching their zenith this past weekend, the matter of raceday medication enjoyed a reprieve, a summer vacation of sorts.

But the issue has not disappeared, nor should it. It’s odds-on to be reprised in the coming weeks, months, maybe even years. It’s what happens when battle lines are drawn over a matter of economy and ethics..

As previously stated, the continued use of raceday medication Salix, or Lasix, is an emotional and complex subject with serious considerations and consequences on both sides.

Approximately a week ago, I received an e-mail from a retired veterinarian who takes an anti-Salix position. Dr. Rod Cundy, D.V.M.,Canada, was practicing medicine before and after Lasix became a legal medication for raceday use.

Cundy believes the industry would be better off without it in the long term. Proponents believe it’s a humane way to treat Exercise Induced Pulmonary Edema, and that it's cost efficient for owners.Cundy disagrees with this notion, too.

We hope that HRI's readers will decide for themselves and give voice to the issue. Pro-Salix industry members are encouraged to respond, to have their voices heard, their positions stated. HRI will run that response in its entirety with no edits altering context in any way. Organizations can speak as one, if that's the tack they choose to take.

The first of Cundy's emails appeared yesterday. Today is the second, as Cundy explains how some illegal substances work, the difference between them, and in what context those substances are analogous to raceday Salix use:

“Soda doping and milkshaking are one in the same. It entails administering bicarbonate- usually by tubing baking soda via a stomach tube- a few hours before race time. At one time it was legal in our racing jurisdiction and I found that it improved most horses performance substantially- much like blood doping (another serious issue facing racing) is doing today.

“It first started with only a few trainers and their horse would stand out in a race. Eventually, like Salix, almost all starters were using bicarbonate and any advantage was gone. We as veterinarians asked the Commission to outlaw its use but it took another year or so for them to see the light. Today they regularly check blood levels of bicarbonate in enough horses each race day just prior to race time to deter its use.

“In reference to the level of bicarbonate allowed in Salix horses, I assume that regulators have seen that horses using Salix have a higher blood level of bicarbonate than non-Salix horses so they must allow some difference in legal levels, but in essence are allowing a form of soda doping in Salix horses without the trainer having to administer any external forms of bicarbonate.

“EPO and its various related compounds that enable a horse to "finish" because of the enhancement of their own oxygen carrying capacity is a very serious issue facing racing as it is in human sports such as the Tour de France. Substitute some high percentage trainers name for Lance Armstrong and the recent “60 Minutes” episode could be all about horse racing instead of cycle racing.

{Ed. Note: According to the latest Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances and Recommended Penalties and Model Rule, revised in August, 2011 and released earlier this week, Erythropoietin (EPO), manufactured under the trade names Epogen and Procrit, is a Class 2 Drug classified under Penalty A.

A Class 2 Drug is defined by the Association of Racing Commissioners International as having “a high potential for affecting the outcome of a race. Most are not intended to be used as therapeutic agents in the racing horse...”

Under Penalty A, a first offense for trainers carries with it “a minimum one year suspension absent mitigating circumstances. The presence of aggravating factors could be used to impose a maximum three year suspension...”}.

“Since the useful effect of these drugs take several days after administration to display themselves, last for weeks or months afterwards, and yet can only be detected for a few days after administration, it makes it very difficult with present testing procedures to deter their use. The only way this problem is going to be successfully dealt with, and abusers effectively deterred, is through rigorous "out of competition" testing.

“Unfortunately if other racing jurisdictions are like they are here in Alberta, this is not being done. Although we have the legislation to do “out of competition” testing, in practice little is being done. Hopefully people like you who have the ear of racing's participants and the public will pursue this issue much the same way the Salix issue has been pursued until the problem is resolved.”

Proponents, Dr. Cundy has stated his case in approximately 1,000 words. You are afforded equal time whenever you wish


Comments (7)

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Vet: “Racing Better Served Without Salix”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, August 24, 2011--Everyone who is tethered to the sport of Thoroughbred racing is aware that the matter of raceday medication, principally Salix, is one issue that could bring the industry to its knees.

As previously stated here, the continued use of raceday medication is an extremely emotional and complex subject with serious considerations and consequences on both sides.

Advocates for the continued use of Furosemide on raceday insist that for all practical purposes the American racing industry would disappear if a ban were enacted.

Proponents calling for its prohibition on raceday argue that the game would virtually disappear if it’s not. In short, it’s a battle of the present against the future.

I received this e-mail from a retired veterinarian who takes a surprisingly anti-Salix position. Those who oppose this will try to discredit the messenger by arguing: “Sure, now that he’s no longer practicing…etc., etc”

Per usual, we will allow our readers to decide for themselves, and we invite Salix proponents to state their case here as counterpoint, which also will be printed without the kind of editing that would alter context in any way.

The following, then, are the words of Rod Cundy, D.V.M., Calgary, Alberta, Canada:

“I am a recently retired racetrack veterinarian who worked as a groom for 10 years in the 60’s before starting practice in 1971.I have been intimately involved in the use of Salix during its evolution from not being used in racing to today’s norm of it being an almost universal treatment. That being said, I feel that racing was better served without Salix.

“I have little doubt that Salix helps “bleeders,” but only because it is a performance enhancer which by definition reduces the chance of bleeding. One of the ways that it enhances performance is that it is tantamount to “soda doping”- a proven performance enhancement that is banned most everywhere. I came to this conclusion when I found out from our local authorities that when they test for bicarbonate (soda) they allow horses running on Salix to have a higher level-presumably because of the dehydration effect.

“Racing did quite well in the pre-Salix days and I think it will do quite well once Salix is totally gone. Not only will the public perception of racing improve but I think all those owners now in favor of Salix will eventually realize that over all the cost of losing the few horses that cannot run without Salix will be outweighed by the money saved (millions of dollars) from not using it.

“I think a lot of the controversy about Furosemide and other bleeder medications use stems from the perception that bleeding is a “disease” that drugs can “fix.” In my humble opinion bleeding is not a “disease” but rather a simple result of horses running out of air late in a race. Let me explain:

“There are only two basic ways for muscles to receive the oxygen they need to continue running late in a race. Either they have to take more air into the lungs, or the heart has to send more blood to the lungs to pick up more oxygen. Given that horses cannot breathe any harder- and indeed many horses have their air intake drastically reduced when they displace their soft palate (choking)- they can/must revert to the heart pumping more blood to the lungs. This in turn causes blood vessels to “pop” and “bleeding” ensues. In other words “bleeding” is a sign of a problem and not the cause of it. I like to tell my clients that, for the most part, horses do not stop because they bleed- they bleed because they stop!”

MY RESPONSE TO THE ORIGINAL EMAIL:

‘Thanks very much [Dr. Cundy] for contacting me and for anticipating my question. I'm sure HRI readers will appreciate the input, as well as certain segments of the industry. Very interesting, indeed.

Question: Is soda doping the same as milk shaking; it sounds similar? If not, could you briefly explain the difference? That could be very illuminating.

Another element: Testers would allow for more Salix if they knew soda doping was going on? Wouldn't they just prohibit the soda doping, or am I missing something here? Thanks again!’

Dr. Cundy’s response will be printed here tomorrow. All having an opinion are invited to comment, of course. As previously stated, HRI will provide equal time for industry representatives with an opposing view, starting tomorrow.


Comments (3)