Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Florida Considers Steroid Ban

March 14, 2008

Regulators have been looking at steroid use in horse racing for years, and some states, including New York, Pennsylvania and California, have adopted new rules and penalties.

In Florida, the state is on the verge of tightening rules that mirror the proposed national guidelines and would ban steroid use in the month before a race to give horses time to get the drugs out of their system. The state's primary thoroughbred auction company has banned steroids in the horses it sells.

In fiscal year 2006-07, $155-million was wagered on live races at Florida's three thoroughbred and one harness track, according to figures from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations and its Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, the department that would write the new rules. But that was 3 percent less than the year before, and it meant revenue to the state also slipped by 3 percent.

Over the past decade, the amount of money wagered and the tax revenue collected by the state has remained flat.

A changing population, criticism from animal rights activists and competition from other gambling outlets have contributed to the decline, experts say. But even though Florida's drug tests are among the most comprehensive in the nation, skepticism about what the horses are on has played a role.

"It's no longer, 'My horse is better than yours,' Whitfield said. "It's, 'My vet is better than yours.' "

No national regulations exist against steroid use in the horse racing industry. In fact, four steroids — Winstrol, Equipoise, Nandrolone and testosterone — are permitted for use on horses by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

Like many states, Florida tests for a wide variety of drugs. But not steroids. That may change. The president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association said that by early 2009, he expects all major racing states to adopt a ban on the use of steroids for horses at least a month before they run.

Track officials also see the need for testing, especially if it is uniform. Peter Berube, vice president and general manager of Tampa Bay Downs thoroughbred track in Oldsmar, is concerned that not all racing jurisdictions have the same rules. If Florida's rules are more strict than, say, those in Maryland, it could affect business.

"It could impact horses shipped here to Tampa, or Florida in general," Berube said. "But most states, including Florida, are moving forward with having rules in place by the first of the year.

"The integrity of the sport is paramount, and any time you can strengthen the rules, it's definitely a good thing."

Horse racing in Florida has hit a plateau, said David Roberts, director of the state's Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

"The (racing) industry is still trying to reinvent itself, still trying to find a way to market themselves and grow a fan base. There is the perception that some horses are running on more (steroids) than others, and we want to give the betting public confidence that the races are fair."

Roberts said he hopes to begin writing rules in July to address steroids. But first, the state needs to know what levels to look for. The University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine is studying just that. Its goal is to identify how long it takes drugs to be eliminated from horses and learn more about how certain drugs influence performance.

Steroid use is more of a practical matter to Dr. Paul Mallonee, an equine veterinarian in Factoryville, Pa. He argues that while steroids should be controlled, there has been an overreaction because of baseball's scandal.

"In Major League Baseball, 80 percent of the athletes are not surgically neutered," Mallonee said. "In my world, they are. In an intact male, his body provides testosterone. So a gelding (a castrated male horse) is not going to be on the same physical level as the intact male. But geldings are easier to handle. Colts can be dangerous."

Steroids may be controversial, he said, but "those of us who are clinical practitioners understand the need for it."