Congress questions use of steroids in horse racing

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: McClatchy news

WASHINGTON — The practice of injecting racehorses with steroids to keep them on their feet during the weeks before high-stakes competitions met tough scrutiny at a congressional hearing Wednesday.

Critics say the animals are exploited through the harmful use of anabolic steroids to boost stamina and power and to mask fatigue. Some human athletes illegally abuse the drugs for the same purposes, but the practice is legal in horse racing, and steroids often are used for medicinal purposes when a horse falls ill or is injured.

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association and other groups have proposed a ban on steroid use in the month before a race to give horses time to get the drugs out of their systems.

If it's adopted nationally, the rule would take effect by December and would be in place for next year's Kentucky Derby — a move that supporters such as Kentucky Rep. Ed Whitfield, the ranking Republican on the House of Representatives subcommittee that held Wednesday's hearing, said will help ensure better sportsmanship in horse racing.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/28899.html

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What next, investigate how a cow shits?

[last1standing]

1. WHO...THE...FUCK...CARES...?

Sorry, but really, is this what we elected a Democratic majority for, to spend their time investigating the sports world? I have a ton of sympathy for horses who are injected with chemicals to enhance performance but there are surely other organizations that could be looking into this more effectively while our congress actually does something that they were elected to do.

Am I wrong here?


Edited to say that I'm not directing anything negative toward the poster of this thread. I just wanted to make the point that our congress should be looking into matters that more immediate and more directly related to their jobs and let the proper authorities handle the drugging of horses (and baseball players for that matter).

[liberal hypnotist]

4. Agreed.

It's a smoke screen. Horse trainers having been shooting up horses for years. That's how a fifteen to one nag wins every once in a while to keep the gamblers gambling.

Oh, let's get Roger Clemons rather than Bush and company. Makes sense huh?

[Harry Monroe]

2. Next: Congress investigates why it has its head up the horse's ass!!

[chknltl]

3. What next????

American Idolgate: Simon Cowell is really from Brooklyn, has fake chest-hair implants and has never even been out of the country! I'm callin' Arlen Specter!

[damntexdem]

5. Hey, give them HGH, instead.

And maybe we could ultimately eliminate the jockey. ;-)