Harness: Explosive indictments possibly just scratching the surface
It seems nearly everyone that is surrounded in harness or thoroughbred racing says the same thing: “I told you they were cheaters.”
The news on Monday that 27 individuals had been indicted on drug-related charges with equine athletes was the proverbial breath of fresh air to some. Still there were others that suggested that the Feds had just hit the tip of the iceberg and more heads would surely roll.
[Editor’s Note: A 28th name was added when trainer Richard Banca was taken into custody on March 9 and a 29th when Rene Allard was arrested later that week.]
It’s impossible for me to be a cheerleader when news such as this hits the broad media. To me there are always multiple sides to each story, but in this case I find myself having difficulty joining any particular tribe. While we can always appreciate those looking to serve justice, it’s hard not to be cynical that the current group represents an incredibly small fraction of the actual wrongdoers in both sports.
That Monday began the quick reflection by some of the so-called “Good Guys” who came out of hiding long enough to proclaim some form of victory for their side. While those reflecting on the sport can reflexively make the presumption that the elimination of a few flouting the law will suddenly raise those at the bottom, I choose to think exactly the opposite. To me this handful of alleged drug dealers were put out of circulation but their absence may just pave the way for others who have routinely gone uncaught to carve up more of the pie than they could before.
Regardless of the names and drugs mentioned in the indictments, it’s reasonable to concur that there are many more illegal substances routinely used by horsemen who managed to not get caught in this particular web.
There are two aspects to Monday’s indictments that at the same time could give solace to those who wish to see more horses have their welfare protected. Firstly, there’s a hope that veterinarians and only veterinarians will prescribe and administer medication in the future. That’s something that local racing commissions should be willing to enforce on a larger scale. That second and third parties were involved procuring drugs is an outrage to all animal lovers. That horses perished due to this behavior is scandalous if not shocking.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, the fact that real jail time could be the inevitable outcome of those proceedings is something most horsemen believe is long overdue. As with all criminal behavior, without risk of consequences there is virtually nothing stopping individuals from repeating these events.
I’m a bit disillusioned by those who believe that either harness or thoroughbred racing have the capacity to “self-police.” Over the years suspicion of nefarious behavior has run rampant. Names are often floated of those alleged to be drugging horses. I’ve been inside OTBs where those rooting on horses refer to them being “juiced” while adding the trainers’ name to the phrase.
It’s not just the betting public that speculates who the “bad guys” are. Jeff Gural at The Meadowlands has done his part to protect the integrity of the sport by banning many individuals from racing at The Meadowlands over the years. That list includes many high-level trainers in the industry. Yet surprisingly when names were revealed this past Monday, Gural’s scorecard was less than perfect. He correctly (if guilty) tabbed Chris Oakes as someone that shouldn’t race at The Meadowlands, but at the same time allowed Nick Surick to participate regularly.
It may be a bit early in the government’s case to pass clear judgment on any others in this business. The names and occupations of those who may follow in receiving indictments is a mystery at this point. There are some that believe the list will grow exponentially. What appears to be the case given these first indictments is much of the actual charges have to do with misbranding and distribution of drugs. Those who are currently under indictment are accused of producing and illegally distributing these drugs. It’s easy to assume there are other trainers that may have been end-users, but at the same time it is also possible that many trainers only accepted medication from a licensed veterinarian. That may be a major question in what trainers may or may not be charged with, even if they are somehow tied to some of the accused.
I’d like to believe as many do that continued Federal involvement in racing’s drug wars is the best way for the larger industry to deal with this problem. It’s wishful thinking no matter how much we’d like to see it because investigations of this magnitude take an extremely long time and require expensive man-hours just to reach the indictment phase.
Regardless of many individual sentiments following the Monday indictments, it seems as if there will always be a lack of funding of state regulators to effectively curtail future drug use.
In this many-faceted sport, I understand why horse lovers wish to have all illegal medications banished forever. No one wants to see a horse die for any reason. No one wants to see horses medicated in any way that could risk their lives. At issue here though is the fact that large amounts of money flow through this business and as such people like those indicted were thinking of ways to get a larger share.
In the more than 40 years I have covered this sport, I have never been certain that any trainer I’ve met or spoken with would NEVER give a horse an illegal substance. That is with the exception of one man named Lou Miller, who spent a lifetime caring for animals of which horses was his most preferred species. Lou took care of his and he took care of yours and he took care of others. Lou was the first person I ever met that routinely found money to “save one from the killers,” as he would say. Lou trained horses for sure but he didn’t win very many races.
Lou is long gone now and to me so is the dream that all trainers will only act in the horse’s best interest and not their own.