Horse Trainer Raises Suspicions with Injections

A year after the fiasco with horse trainer Rick Dutrow and roiding Big Brown, a new trainer is causing concern with similar questionable practices. His timing is perfect with the Kentucky Derby.less than a month away.

Trainer Jeff Mullins was busted Saturday giving Gato Go Win a cough remedy substance in the detention barn before the $200,000 Bay Shore. Per state racing rules, New York racing officials removed the horse from the race. The syringe and substance were confiscated and an investigation is underway. Joseph Mahoney, the spokesman for the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, said giving any medication to a horse while waiting in the detention barn is against the New York racing rules.

“If a horse needs a product of this order to get to the finish line, then we have a problem with that,” Mahoney said.

According to The New York Times, the substance was labeled as Air Power, an over-the-counter cough formula manufactured by a company called Finish Line. On its Web site, the company claims that one dose will usually stop a horse’s cough all day and that “nothing manufactured and sold by Finish Line will test positive in any race or show jurisdiction in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America, England or Saudi Arabia.”

Unfortunately, for the sport of horse racing, the Mullins-trained I Want Revenge won the Wood Memorial later in the day and is a favorite to win the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby in May.

This is not the first time Mullins has run afoul of the rules of the sport, similar to Dutrow. Turns out, Mullins has a history of medication violations in his base of California. Last spring, he was suspended for 20 days by the California Horse Racing Board for use of the Class 2 drug mepivacaine. Per the NYT, “in 2005, one of his horses tested positive for exceeding the limit of total carbon dioxide, which indicates the horse had a ‘milkshake’ — a concoction of baking soda, sugar and electrolytes that helps a horse ward off fatigue. His horses were put under 24-hour surveillance for 30 days.”

A California Horse Racing Board complaint said another horse of Mullins’s had exceeded the regulatory threshold for total carbon dioxide in a blood sample taken before a race at Del Mar in August.

Michael Iavarone, who heads the International Equine Acquisition Holdings (IEAH), which bought 50 percent of I Want Revenge last week, understood that Air Power was not a PED, and that his Derby contender was not part of Mullins’s violations. IEAH, you’ll recall, was the owner of Big Brown last year trained by controversial Rick Dutrow.

IEAH needs to get a clue. Even though they claimed to be roid free last October and "unnecessary medications," are we supposed to believe that IEAH will police themselves? Two years in a row that they have a major stake or outright owned the Derby favorite / winner, but it has come with a considerable price. The scrutiny and the "win at all costs" mentality with a complete disregard for what trainers and others involved with the horses could be doing to get those wins. Why is it that every trainer who is busted with one horse gets a pass with all the other horses he trains? Ignorance really is bliss.

Kentucky Derby to "Super Test" Winning Horses

It's been awhile since my last two posts on horse racing, but the sport is making news two months before the Kentucky Derby.

Churchill Downs in a release this past Monday said it will implement new safety measures for this year's Derby and all of its tracks. All winning horses will get a "super test" for more than 100 types of drugs exceeding the previously required amount. Other safety measures included are extending the safety tests for track surfaces, banning certain types of whips and prohibiting horses younger than 24 months old from racing.

Good for Churchill Downs for instituting the "super test", but one has to wonder why not provide the test for all participants? If the goal is to prevent all the cheats, super test everyone, not just the winners.

Any good news is a step in the right direction for this sport after the year horse racing had. Since last year's Derby, there was a Congressional hearing, another suspension for trainer Rick Dutrow, the euthanizing on the track last year of Derby runner up, Eight Belles, and the realization that Derby winner Big Brown was roided out of its mind on Winstrol and didn't win the Triple Crown when he wasn't on the juice.

This racing season will probably have its share of drama, shocking revelations and a suspension or two. In other words, business as usual.

Big Brown is Back...Will be Clean before Breeders’ Cup

Big Brown came from behind to win at the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park Sunday beating 20-1 long shot Coal Play by one-and-three-quarter-lengths.

A victory is a victory, even though it was unlike any of Big Brown's previous wins where he"destroyed" the field according to trainer Rick Dutrow. Like any good salesman, Dutrow spun the unimpressive victory by playing up the competition. "The other horse (Coal Play) ran a huge, huge race. That’s why maybe it looked like Brown didn't look like himself. But, man, in the last eighth of a mile, he really got himself together. He showed us that he’s back in town."

A week earlier, Representative Bobby L. Rush, chairman of the congressional subcommittee that investigated horse racing and performance-enhancing drugs during hearings in June, sent a letter to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (KHRA) asking why Dutrow only received a 15-day suspension for a positive test when the rules appeared to dictate a harsher penalty. The KHRA could have suspended Dutrow up to 60 days for a first offense and one to six months for a second offense. Dutrow has been fined or suspended at least once for the past 9 years. Apparently, the KHRA did not feel that Dutrow's previous missteps did not take place under their jurisdiction or simply were not relevant when netting out their current punishment for this transgression.

Look for more Congressional involvement in the sport after inconsistent enforcement of doping violations and look for a bit more skepticism from the public when it comes to Big Brown's earlier Winstrol-aided feats. The next confirmed race on Big Brown's schedule is the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 25. Big Brown's owners (IEAH) have said all their horses will be PED-free by October 1st. If Big Brown wins at Santa Anita, don't expect him to "destroy" the competition.

Jessica Hardy Fails Test for Substance that Ensnared Trainer

U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy tested positive for the banned stimulant clenbuterol last week and is in the process of expedited arbitration proceedings to see whether she can swim at the Olympics next month. Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator belonging to a class of drugs known as beta-2 agonists. It is similar to albuterol which is one medication that Dara Torres currently uses legally by having a therapeutic use exemption (TUE). Unlike albuterol, no TUE's are permitted for clenbuterol because clenbuterol and zilpaterol are considered anabolic agents.

Clenbuterol has also been mentioned here when Big Brown trainer, Rick Dutrow's horse, Salute the Count, tested positive for two times the allowable amount back in May. The drug is an approved medication in horse racing used primarily as a bronchial dilator, which increases lung capacity.

I'll float two possible scenarios to explain Hardy's positive test:

One, Hardy has asthma, a TUE and accidentally grabbed the "wrong" inhaler which led to the positive test on July 4th while tests on July 1st and 6th were negative.

Two, as Gary Hall Jr. said earlier that the sport was adopting "entertainment morals" perhaps Hardy could speculate that a teammate sabotaged her asthma medication with the banned stimulant. If that type of reality tv shenanigans occurred, that would draw more interest to the pool and provide a whodunit element ensuring everyone on the team received their 15 minutes of fame...Now that would be entertaining.

Owner Advises Dutrow He's on Short Leash

Michael Iavarone, co-owner of IEAH which owns Big Brown is tiring of trainer Rick Dutrow's act, but is still is impressed with his results.

He told a reporter for ESPN that Dutrow is on "a short leash" in the aftermath of his handling of his latest drug offense. Salute the Count, Dutrow's horse he was training, tested positive for having more than two times the amount of clenbuterol after finishing second in the Aegon Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on May 2nd. Dutrow faces a 15 day suspension.

Dutrow took the high road stating that the media has overblown the situation and that he had not intentionally broken any rules saying, "It's my responsibility, but it's not my fault."

Iavarone did go on to praise his trainer for an impressive win at the Belmont when 40-1 long shot Frost Giant won the Grade I Suburban Handicap this past Saturday.

At some point IEAH will have to make up their mind regarding Dutrow: either they are a results driven organization no matter what tactics are employed or they take a stand and break a trainer off who has been suspended at least once per year for the past nine years. Mr. Iavarone, ball is in your court.

Dutrow Long Shot Wins Over the Weekend

Controversial trainer Rick Dutrow has done it once again. I'm not referring to another suspension, but leading an improbable horse to victory.

Frost Giant, a 40-1 long shot from the IEAH stable, won at the 122nd running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Suburban Handicap on Saturday at Belmont Park. Michael Iavarone, co-owner of IEAH, has stated that all horses in the IEAH stable will be drug free by October 1st.

It's unfortunate that a great underdog story is clouded by these facts: trainer facing drug suspension and ownership who says stable will be drug free in three months. If a 40-1 horse can win in an 8 horse field, this leads to some unsettling issues:

Either the odds makers are failing at doing their jobs and/or we are seeing the effects of "chemical horses" on the field of competition. Both are bothersome if the sport wants to be taken as a legitimate clean enterprise rather than "just a bet".

Dutrow Busted for PED's; Suspended for 15 Days

PED's once again caught up to controversial trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr.

Salute the Count, one of his horses he trained earlier this year, tested positive for twice the allowable level of clenbuterol, a banned substance. Two drug tests were performed after finishing second in the Aegon Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on May 2. Clenbuterol helps burn fat while promoting muscle growth. In humans, the drug is used to treat asthma. As a result of the positive test, Dutrow faces a 15 day suspension; he does have the option of filing an appeal within the next 10 days, but has already taken responsibility for his actions.

“I was there all week and am responsible,” Dutrow said. “I use that medication on many of my horses and only once can ever remember having a problem with it.”

According to the New York Times, "clenbuterol is an approved medication in horses, and is used as a bronchial dilator — which increases lung capacity — though it has steroidal properties. It is illegal to administer it on race day, but states vary on the length of time beforehand that it can be administered. In New York, for example, it cannot be administered within 96 hours of race day. In Kentucky, 72 hours".

With the recent Congressional subcommittee hearing on the sport, this state discrepancy as to when clenbuterol can be administered illustrates the need for a national governing body. Simplify the process: create a national oversight body, implement universal rules and provide a stringent transparent drug testing program so that the public will be more comfortable that they are seeing less of these "chemical horses" that recent breeders have been testifying to.

This is not Dutrow's first suspension. He has been fined or suspended at least once for the past 9 years for various medication violations — including positive tests for mepivacaine, phenylbutazone and oxyphenbutazone and clenbuterol. He also served a 60-day suspension in 2005 after two of his horses tested positive for banned substances and claiming there was a violation.

Given Dutrow's track record, would any owner want all the additional baggage and speculation that comes with employing this trainer? Apparently, the folks at IEAH do not have a problem with it.

Big Brown's Stable to Go Roid Free...by Oct. 1st

Big Brown's owners are leading the charge in cleaning up horse racing when they announced Sunday that they would immediately begin withdrawing all steroids and any unnecessary medications from their horses. "Immediately" is a bit of a misnomer since the ban will be in place October 1st, conveniently after Big Brown's next race, August 3rd in the Haskell Invitational. This action is on the heels of Congress raising serious doubts that the sport can govern itself as currently constructed and considering adopting a national authority to oversee the sport.

Michael Iavarone, a co-president of International Equine Acquisitions Holdings (IEAH) which owns Big Brown among other horses, said that the more than 50 horses owned by his stable would be drug free by Oct. 1, and to quell speculation of roided up horses, that they would pay for tests to be administered by state or track veterinarians before and after each of their races to prove it.

He's confident that his stable does not need the juice to be successful out on the track. “I know Big Brown or any of our horses do not need this stuff to win,” he said. “I’m not worried about an uneven playing field, either. The cost of the drug tests are a small price to pay for the integrity of the sport. I’m urging other owners to join us, and let’s turn the game around.”

Controversial trainer, Rick Dutrow, is on board with the self-imposed ban on all medications perceived to be performance-enhancing. However, not all PED's and medications are off the table. The stable’s horses will continue to run on the legal anti bleeding medication Lasix when necessary.

IEAH might not have won the Triple Crown, but they struck gold when they brokered a deal to sell Big Brown’s breeding rights for about $60 million. For a relatively new outfit, IEAH has had quite a bit of success. So far in 2008, their stable has won more than $5.7 million in purses and won at a 23 percent clip. Bolstering their claim that their horses do not need the juice, they have won in Dubai, where the rules against drug use are the most stringent in the world. Dutrow, in written testimony submitted to the Congressional subcommittee last week, cited his horses’ victories in two $1 million races in Dubai as evidence that his horses could thrive in a drug-free environment.

Losing the Triple Crown was costly to IEAH. Besides the controversy of whether or not Big Brown is a "chemical horse", Iavarone said that performance cost at least $50 million in the breeding shed and in future marketing deals.

Just how costly was the Belmont? Try $60,000 - $125,000 per breeding session. According to the New York Times, "if Big Brown, a bay colt, never raced again, he might attract $40,000 to $75,000 for a breeding session versus the $100,000 to $200,000 he would have earned as a nobly defeated Triple Crown challenger or the 12th horse to sweep the series".

A novel twist to just going drug free for your stable was Iavarone's suggestion that racetracks and Daily Racing Form print in their programs that horses owned by IEAH, and any owner who adopts the policy, be listed as drug free. From a punishment standpoint, Iavarone also said that if any of his horses failed a drug test that IEAH pays for, the company would return the purse money. No word on what the punishment would be if a horse failed a drug test that IEAH did not pay for.

Whenever Congress gets involved in any one's business, that's when participants start circling the wagons. A few good ideas in this proposal and the glaringly obvious conflict of interest issues need to be addressed. Nice p.r. stunt to be an "early adopter" and "on the cutting edge" of drug testing and PED's in the sport. There is some history to back up IEAH and Dutrow's claims that they both won under the most stringent drug testing circumstances. Why not institute this policy before your most famous horse, Big Brown's, next race? The speculation will just continue to rise if Big Brown wins at the Haskell.

Given the conflict of interest, the general public will not buy that this process is being handled independently. This is exactly why Congress got involved and felt that the sport cannot police itself and is leaning to create a national, independent governing body. Nice try IEAH, a step in the right direction, but too little, too late and I'm not buying it.

Big Brown to Ride Again: Trainer Expected to Recover in Time

Big Brown, who failed in his bid to win the Triple Crown, will ride again. His next race will be in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park August 3rd according to one of his co-owners, Michael Iavarone.

Mr. Iavarone must know something about the dramatic recovery of Big Brown trainer, Rick Dutrow. Dutrow has been ill for the past two weeks after the Belmont and was too ill to travel to testify in person at a Congressional subcommittee hearing on horse racing last Thursday. Dutrow claimed he notified Congress that he would not appear, but Congress was not aware of this development. Apparently the owners of Big Brown are not concerned that this illness will linger any longer than an unpleasant Congressional inquiry. The question everyone will be asking the Big Brown camp: is he back on the juice?

The marvels of modern medicine continue to confound. Medicine is able to get a trainer to perform at a peak level through the Triple Crown and then once the desired outcome is not achieved, combined with a Congressional inquiry where the trainer is a key witness, a mysterious illness pops up that prohibits travel? Someone better check Mr. Dutrow's travel records for the past two weeks. However, travel plans and race information are confirmed for the trainer's next event in August...incredible and only in horse racing.

Horse Industry One Length in Front of Congress

Learning from other professional leagues being embarrassed by Congress, most notably MLB, the Thoroughbred Safety Committee (TSC) took the step of recommending that steroids and toe grabs be banned and new rules be implemented regarding the use of whips in horse racing before today's Congressional subcommittee hearing on the sport.

The proposals were endorsed by various parties - breeders, veterinarians and the operators of the largest tracks - a first in that various parties have come together to formalize a plan for cleaning up the sport. In addition the TSC will present recommendations on the use of illegal drugs and therapeutic medications as well as improving drug testing. The TSC will also propose toughing the penalties for rule violations including lifetime bans for major infractions.

Once steroids are banned in all 38 states where racing occurs, the U.S. will then be on equal footing with how the rest of the racing world deals with steroids. The toe grab recommendation will reduce the number of deaths at the track. Toe grabs and other devices worn on the front shoes of the horses have been found to put undue stress on the legs of the horses.

Today's hearing entitled, "Breeding, Drugs and Breakdowns: The State of Thoroughbred Racing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred Racehorse," may ultimately consider a the creation of a central body to govern horse racing, similar to the British model. Some statistics released in conjunction with the hearing are troubling. Of the approximately 15,000 licensed horse trainers in the U.S., 9% have been cited for medication violations including performance enhancement. Unfortunately the one trainer who was expected to shed the most light at the hearing, controversial Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow, will not testify, due to illness.

Dutrow has been ill since the Belmont, but did submit his written comments to Congress. He claims to have let Congress know in advance, but Brin Frazier, a spokeswoman for the subcommittee, was unaware of this development and stated that the committee members expected him to testify today.

Rick, aren't you a little bit past the age of playing the "sick card" to get out of an uncomfortable situation? Just over a week ago, you were talking tough, like the good old days before the Belmont about looking forward to testifying, but you would need to have your vet present.

To ensure the sport cleans up its act, the subcommittees ranking minority member, Representative Ed Whitfield, Republican of Kentucky, has decided to hit it where it hurts: their wallet. By threatening to reopen the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978, which allowed simulcast wagering and provides the basis for online betting allows wagering to take place across state lines. This betting accounted for 90% of last year's $15 billion wagered.

Whitfield's goals include more transparency, more information regarding the use of drugs and concern for the animals safety. By placing the simulcast money on the line, he hopes to force some minimum standards regarding these concerns.

As I see it, the issue is the lack of a central governing body that oversees all 38 racing jurisdictions. If I was a breeder, it would be a herculean task to manage what shots I could give my horse if I wanted to race him in 4 different states. Simplify the process, level the playing field and then everyone plays by the same rules. Sure there will always be others looking for an edge, but at least the sport will be taking a step in the right direction.

Rick, there is such thing as video conferencing. If they did that, I wonder if you would have pulled a Sammy Sosa and conveniently forget how to speak English. At least Sammy showed up when called to testify!

Congress Sets Sights on MLB & Horse Racing

Congress is ready to jump back into the PED fray over the next two weeks and is targeting MLB and horse racing. The horse hearing will be held next week while Congress awaits responses from a letter issued to MLB and the players union within two weeks.

The horse racing hearing was called due to the public outcry over Eight Belles being euthanized on the track after the Kentucky Derby. A statement from the committee called that recent deaths "point to a persistent and widespread problem, raising significant questions about the sport and its governance."

Controversial Big Brown trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr., will testify at the hearing. He has admitted publicly that he injects his horses with Winstrol on the 15th of each month. Steroids are legal in 28 of 38 racing jurisdictions including the three where the Triple Crown takes place.

He stated that Big Brown did not receive an injection in May. There has been much speculation that the reason why Big Brown finished last at the Belmont and did not have the "kick" that he normally has, was due to the lack of roids. Dutrow is aware that the committee will ask him about roids which is why he'll have his veterinarian with him so he answers the questions "fully and informed."

A world class trainer who has been shooting up his horses with roids needs his vet to be there so he can answer questions fully and be informed? Are you kidding me, RD Jr.? No one pops pills or puts anything in their body without "being informed". You make your living by training horses and I would assume you are already fully informed of the benefits and consequences of each steroid you inject in your animals. Something does not add up, and Dutrow can sense that the committee will see this. A little misdirection and preparing to be the sacrificial lamb for his sport seems like a nice p.r. stunt.

"I'm also interested in answering the questions about surfaces and fatal injuries. I'm coming here in good faith. And if they want to kill me, I'm going try to be prepared for that." Answering questions about surfaces? Congress does not call hearings regarding surfaces in horse racing. The topic is recent deaths and governance issues in the sport. Stay on topic or prepare for death, Mr. Dutrow, because Congress will be looking for blood.


"MLB has "done it once again" by appearing to be less than forthright in their 2005 Congressional testimony. Both MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and the head of the players union, Donald Fehr appear to have contradicted the Mitchell Report findings when they testified in 2005.

The issue at the center of the controversy is MLB's claim that positive PED test results were dramatically reduced from 2003 to 2004 (from more than 100 to 12). What MLB and the players union failed to disclose in their testimony was drug testing in 2004 was suspended for a portion of the season. Congress wants to know, if the program was suspended, why this information was not disclosed in their testimony. Congress also asked whether some players were given advance notice of upcoming tests and if this was the case, why this information was not disclosed in their testimony.

In the Mitchell Report, it was uncovered and confirmed by baseball and union officials that the random drug testing program was suspended for a large part of the 2004 season. Also in the report, at least one player was informed by Gene Orza, the chief operating officer for the players union, that he would be tested within two weeks.

Donald Fehr and MLB were both on the same page regarding the integrity of the testing program in 2005. Fehr said, "no player knew when he was going to be tested" and Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, wrote to the Congressional committee in 2005 "no notice was provided to players prior to testing."

The testing was suspended in 2004 after the 2003 positive results were seized as part of the BALCO investigation in April 2004. For the players who tested positive in 2003, they were not tested until the end of the 2004 season. It was determined that those players were not to be tested until they had been notified that their results had been seized. Orza did not notify the players until late in the season, leaving little time for the annual test to occur.

It doesn't take an average IQ MLB'er, who still thinks the pie in the face is high hilarity, to know when it's time to cycle off the juice. This group of 100 players who were being notified late in the season, already tested positive in 2003 and more than likely were still using. Orza already advised one player that he would be tested in two weeks, how many other players did he notify?

Gene Orza declined to provide additional details to George Mitchell when he declined Mitchell's interview request. Nice work on the transparency and legitimatizing your constituency Mr. Orza. You served your people well.

Big Brown Should've Roided Up

As I speculated in my prior post, if Big Brown did not win the Belmont and finish the Triple Crown, gamblers and other sports fans looking to see history will be furious that the horse wasn't getting shot full of Winstrol.

With Big Brown finishing dead last, contradicting Rick Dutrow Jr's contention earlier in the week that a Belmont win was a "foregone conclusion", Dutrow can expect, and should take some heat for his training methods. This performance will also shed some more light on whether steroids do improve a horse's performance. The initial evidence would point to yes.

The quotes from all members involved with Big Brown also corroborate that roids make a difference. The on site veterinarian noticed nothing wrong with the horse. Yet, the jockey stated that the horse had nothing to give and the owner said he was not himself today. Not having anything to give and not being himself is code for the drop off in production from a lack of Winstrol.

If the gamblers and fans really want to see history and true competition, ban roids and all other detectable PED's where horse racing occurs. It's that simple. No one is even talking about how the long shot, Da' Tara, won the race by going wire to wire...no word yet on whether that trainer shot up the horse with roids, but let the speculation begin.

Big Brown Cycling Off the Juice

After appearing on Jim Rome is Burning yesterday, Rick Dutrow Jr said Big Brown did not get his monthly shot of Winstrol. He's been off roids, according to Dutrow, since mid-April. Apparently horses have to cycle off their roids like humans.


I'm sure Big Brown going off the juice had nothing to do with the firestorm that erupted after Dutrow admitted to shooting up the Triple Crown favorite with Winstrol last month. What happens if Big Brown doesn't win the Belmont on Saturday? People will say the horse wasn't roided up enough! The guy cannot win on this one.

More curious is why mainstream media has refused to question why Eight Belles was the only horse tested for steroids, yet all horses from the Kentucky Derby were tested for banned substances. I'm sure the horse racing honks would say it's because steroids are legal in 28 of the 38 states where horse racing occurs including the three states where the Triple Crown takes place. The honks would also toe the company line and say that there is no advantage gained by injecting a horse with roids. If there's no advantage, why are trainers doing it.

The simple solution to this controversy is level the playing field by banning all steroids in the 28 states where it's legal. At least the sport will appear it is out in front on this issue unlike baseball which had to be pushed to act by Congress. The cheaters will still move on to some undetectable PED, but at least we can stop reciting the same statistics and rehash the same annual controversy every May and June when discussing the Triple Crown.

Big Brown Trainer Admits to Roiding Horses

The trainer for the Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, Rick Dutrow Jr., has admitted to legally using the steroid Winstrol on his horses. This is the same steroid that Barry Bonds was allegedly using per "Game of Shadows". Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel also confirmed this story on the program that aired on May 13th.

Per the article from HBPA.com, the Feb. 27th House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection's hearing on PED's was uneventful until Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) shed some light on the current situation in horse racing. Whitfield advised that rampant drug use requires a universal drug-testing program to eradicate doping in the sport.

"Trainers and vets make the decisions, and the horse cannot say no," Whitfield said. "England, for instance, banned steroids in racing over 30 years ago." He also said steroids are contributing to the injuries of the racehorses. Eight Belles broke both front ankles and had to be euthanized after finishing the Kentucky Derby.

Dr. George Maylin, the director of the NY State Racing and Wagering Board drug testing and research program at Cornell University, is optimistic that the sport can clean up on its own. I do not share the doctor's optimism. It was this same optimistic thought that has baseball still backpedalling from their Congressional hearings in 2005.

As for trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., he gives his horses Winstrol on the 15th of every month. If authorities advise the trainer he cannot use the steroid, he'll cease using it. Dutrow does believe doping is going on in the sport. "I don't know how but I'm sure it happens every day. Some people just want to make their horses run faster."

Mr. Dutrow, sure you don't know how the doping is taking place. Abusing steroids, such as Winstrol, would be considered doping. It's comforting to know that the MLB home run champ and the Kentucky Derby champ are roiding up on Winstrol.

Good luck to you and Big Brown at the Preakness....Barry will be pulling for you.