4/8/2004

Medication, Medication!

Kelso, Forego and John Henry, to name just three past champions who raced at the highest level during long and distinguished careers on North American racetracks, did so without the assistance of Lasix. So, when racing's powers-to-be debate standardizing medications across the continent, why allow a drug that everyone knows masks other more insidious drugs, because it is a diuretic that flushes them out or dilutes them prior to post-race testing?

Last week Amberleigh House jumped 30 fences and ran 4 1/2 miles around Aintree to win the Grand National with 140+ lbs. on his back....without Lasix. And who can forget the immortal Red Rum, who won 3 Grand Nationals (and finished 2nd. in a 4th)without Lasix? Indeed, when 'Rummy' won his third, as a 12-y-old, it was ten years after his debut victory on the same racecourse in a 2-y-old 5-furlong seller.

Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia D'Oro ran their hearts out, without Lasix, in the Dubai World Cup. And just last Saturday, at Santa Anita, Castledale, who ran in moderate company in Ireland last year (off Lasix) beat the cream of California in the Santa Anita Derby, in his maiden dirt score!

Now, are this year's California-based 3-y-olds just bad. Or, is Castledale's win due to the fact that he isn't burnt out...yet?

Whatever. If racing's protectors really do want to clean things up, they should ban everything, while they have the chance. After all, the old-timers managed, and it would be nice to see the best horses stick around for more than a season or two.