There is nothing like a Congressional probe to smarten people up. One day before horse groups get hauled to Capitol Hill,
they said they support the elimination of steroid use on race tracks. Animal rights groups want Congress to force tracks to install soft synthetic surfaces and eliminate or restrict the use of whips during races.
The hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection starts at 10 a.m. EDT Thursday.
See the witness list for the hearing [PDF]. Among those who were supposed to testify is Big Brown's trainer, Richard Dutrow Jr. He notified the committee late Wednesday that he was ill. The other witnesses are breeders, veterinarians and
well-known owners.
The Associated Press reports:
An Associated Press survey last week found that thoroughbred racetracks reported more than three horse deaths a day in 2007 and 5,000 since 2003. The impetus for the hearing came when Eight Belles broke down at the Kentucky Derby last month and was euthanized on the track, well before the travails of Big Brown at the Belmont.
"I hope that we bring some transparency to the issues reflecting all of racing," Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, the subcommittee's ranking Republican, said. "It's more than pretty hats and horses on a sunny day. It has a huge economical impact on the country, and it has a bad side to it. I think it's important we get it out on the table."
Whitfield is concerned about the lack of a central body to regulate the sport. Because there is no horse racing equivalent of the NFL or NBA -- which are led by commissioners with widespread authority -- thoroughbred racing instead makes its regulations through individual states.
Once the hearing begins, you can
listen to an audio Webcast of it here.
