Earth to Alex

Alex Waldrop (or more probably his handlers) has been actively struggling to convince people lately that medication has somehow been eliminated from U.S. racing. This started after Joe Drape at the New York Times openly criticized U.S. drug rules in a recent column (although he was forced to choose an unlikely standard-bearer in John Gosden, who does use the drugs when he races in America).  In a posting on the Bloodhorse Web site, Alex actually said this in patting his NTRA organization on the back:

“Race-day medications have been virtually eliminated nationwide.”

This is such fiction that I’m not sure where to start in criticizing it. Does he actually BELIEVE this? Does he think anyone involved in racing does?? I tried to post a comment on the BH site, but it was blocked. Apparently the Bloodhorse does actually believe it. These guys in suits that don’t know which end of a horse eats should be sat down with some before-and-after films of  a lame horse treated with bute, which is allowable on race day in many states. A dose of bute will make a lame horse look sound. Racing on it should be grounds for losing your trainer’s license. If a horse needs pain relief, it needs to be put away to race another day, not drugged and sent out to risk breaking down because it tried to run through the problem. Open your eyes, Alex.

I also thought it was a somewhat desperate measure on Alex’s part to lump those of us who want to eliminate medication in with extreme animal-rights activists who want to end racing altogether. He has already insulted most of the world in the past by calling it “inhumane” NOT to administer lasix. He’s starting to sound increasingly like someone who has been backed into the corner and is looking for any way out he can find.

5 Replies to “Earth to Alex”

  1. Ahhh…the subtleness of money, influence, position and power. Well maybe Waldrop should be disqualified with reference to the power and influence part. What a total waste of an organization. They are not there for the horses…they are there for the power puppet handlers and lobbying with no hard core improvement for the animals or the riders or backstretch workers. What a sanctimonious pile of human doo-doo.

    BH shut down Dr. Jacobson’s (sp?) “Final Turn” post on line and I never saw it in the print version. I hope I’m wrong, but in lieu of that…what a bunch of male, self preening, ego perpetuating users and abusers of equines and the little people. Because when all is said in done in my post…racing is crashing and burning at the majority of venues in the US. These guys seem to have a fiefdom, AIG/GM/Citibank incompetence and overly sense of importance and value evaluation on the brain syndrome. Maybe it’s time to fire them all.

    Go get ’em…GINA! Go Quality Road!!!

  2. It is long past time to fire them.

    Reasonable people can disagree on takeout, racing dates, AGSC decisions and what not, but the fatuous intransigence demonstrated by NTRA, NYRA, CDI, and any other initialism out there as it relates to horses and welfare is demoralizing.

  3. We are living in an increasingly transparent and connected world. Shame the Ntra does not appear to get it!

  4. Don’t/Won’t get it. The NTRA is a seemingly useless organization that neither markets well nor administrates well. Just say no to drugs on healthy horses and if they aren’t healthy, they need to turn them out until they are.

    Any true handicapper longs for the day of drug free horses. It’s a wildcard that makes the impossible, possible and it is the seed that has given rise to what Andy Beyer calls “The Supertrainer”.

    Hay Oats Water. Fuss on them.

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