Long past time for this rule change

In a guest commentary published last week in the San Diego Union-Tribune, owner, breeder, and Del Mar Thoroughbred director Jon Kelly offered up praise for the steps taken by California racing to strengthen the detection of illegal substances.

At one time, Kelly owned KCRA-TV in Sacramento and turned it into an NBC network affiliate. And while no one really can remember when there was no cable TV, someone had to get it rolling, and Kelly was one of the pioneers.

This is by way of saying that when it comes to the power of media and its ability to shape public opinion, Kelly knows his stuff, which is pretty much the opposite of the tone-deaf approach taken by the California Thoroughbred Trainers and their enablers in the veterinary community when it comes to a rule change that would require the administration of race-day Lasix by an independent vet.

Why a usually cutting-edge racing culture like California would drag its feet on such a simple tweak to medication procedures must be baffling to outsiders, especially when places like Kentucky and New York implemented third-party Lasix administration long ago. The latest roadblock was tossed up on Thursday at the monthly California Horse Racing Board meeting when the rule change was sent back to the medication committee for clarification of certain questions raised by those in opposition.

Except that all the questions had been answered before.

As Kelly pointed out in his commentary, there have been a host of advancements in the California rules over the past decade that have addressed not only the health and well-being of the horses and the integrity of the sport but also the image of the game itself, whether it was the elimination of steroids, TCO2 testing, reducing bute levels, or post-race soundness examinations of claimed horses.

Lasix, though, is the third rail of U.S. racing politics. Step on it with care. The evangelical wing of the party would see Lasix banned completely because either A) it’s a hop, B) it’s bad for horses, C) it lets cheating vets in the stall on race day, D) it erodes public confidence, or E) Europe doesn’t do it, and we want them to buy our horses, but they won’t because Lasix!

The reactionary wing of the party sees something like third-party Lasix administration as the first step down a slippery slope that would lead to its elimination as a useful, preventive medication. There will be an ongoing debate over A) and B) from above, but in the meantime, third-party administration of Lasix will at least go a long way toward neutralizing arguments C) and D). As for Europe, let them fix Greece first, then we’ll talk racing rules.

At the Thursday meeting, the opposition continued to shower down its litany of procedural red flags and isolated anecdotes – Where do you get these “independent” vets? Who bears responsibility for a mistake? Did you hear about the wrong horse given Lasix in Kentucky? – all of which have been chewed to death and answered since the issue was raised three years ago.

Kelly’s commentary lands on his support for the effort to enact national legislation imposing uniform medication rules and testing. On this the jury will be out for a while, especially since the concept of a total race-day medication ban (read “Lasix ban”) seems to be dear to the hearts of the legislation’s supporters, although not explicitly stated in the proposed congressional bill.

Compromise needs to find a place in the discussion, and maybe the universal practice of independent Lasix administration will play a role. There is no question that the loss of control can be traumatic, but sometimes it becomes necessary for the greater good. Hopefully, the California training community will see its way clear to support a fair and efficient version of the policy in the shortest possible term. There are bigger battles worth its time.

A race worth watching

Earlier this week, a headline in a local paper touted the Pacific Classic as being run on Sunday. It was an honest mistake. For 16 of its 24 runnings, including 13 of the last 14, Del Mar’s signature race has been presented on a Sunday. It was moved to Saturday this year because Saratoga’s shift of its Travers Day mega-card to the last Saturday of the month opened up Aug. 22, and apparently doing anything on a Saturday in horse racing is better than on a Sunday. Don’t tell the French.

Anyway, Del Mar chief Joe Harper took the headline goof with a grain of high-quality salt.

“Heck, maybe we’ll have a few more people show up on Sunday now,” he said.

If they do, they will get to see a rocking-good running of the $200,000 Del Mar Mile, featuring stakes winners Talco, Bal a Bali, Pure Tactics, Avanzare, Marchman, Winning Prize, and the rejuvenated Wilkinson, who fired big in the local Wickerr Stakes after two years off to mend a tendon.

But the star of the show will be Obviously, 7, the winner of the Del Mar Mile in 2012 and 2013 and making his first start since he tried to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile last fall. If he’s got his old gas, he will be tough because class hangs around longer than muscles and bones. One way or another, it’s good to have him back.