Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are getting behind an effort to prevent the use of performance enhancing drugs in horse races. Reps Joe Pill of Pennsylvania and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois introduced legislation earlier this year which would give the U. S. Anti-Doping Agency oversight of horse races.
Churchill Downs - Famous for horse races
Race horses are sometimes injected with more than a dozen drugs ahead of races, advocates of the new rules say. This "doping" may mask injuries, put the animals at risk and undermine the sport of horse racing.
"We know that when a horse is racing and should not be due to injury, both the animal and the human being that is riding it are exposed to a higher degree of risk," Rep Lee Terry of Nebraska said. "I believe this is unacceptable."
Race horses are sometimes injected with more than a dozen drugs ahead of races, advocates of the new rules say. This "doping" may mask injuries, put the animals at risk and undermine the sport of horse racing.
"Unlike other professional sports such as football and baseball, there is currently no central authority; no consistency in lab capabilities; no uniform penalties; no dedicated funding to increase lab testing or conduct research to catch the next magic potion illegally administered to horses, said Jesse Overton a former member of the Minnesota Racing Commission who testified before the panel this week.
If the legislation passes, the USADA which is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that conducts drug tests for U. S. Olympic athletes and others would have oversight of horse racing.
Though legislators on both sides of the aisle seem supportive of the legislation, not everyone is on board.
"I do have specific concerns about this particular legislation," said Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky who represents a district that includes the famous Churchill Downs horse racing track. "I'm a little bit concerned about the accountability that USADA might have if empowered under this legislation."