Links for 2009-03-26
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NYT turf writer Joe Drape suggests drug-free Kempton Kentucky Derby Challenge winner Mafaaz might be the horse to shame the American racing industry into banning race-day medications and improving horse safety. Published under the "Analysis" rubric, but more properly considered opinion for its agenda-driven conclusions ("Nothing has changed"), shaky connections (that slippery "It" at the start of paragraph seven, the correlation of racing's popularity in Europe and Asia to medication policies with no mention of cultural and structural factors), and lack of balance.
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Or, as NTRA CEO Alex Waldrop put it: "Joe Drape's commentary on the current state of safety and integrity reforms … contained errors and exaggerations and ignored irrefutable facts that did not support his premise." [Note the defensive tone that creeps into the accompanying Letter to the Editor, particularly re: "therapeutic medications." For the flaws in Drape's piece, he's correct more change must come to industry. I suspect Waldrop knows that too, even as he defends what's been accomplished.]
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Bill Finley, following up on Drape's story, writes trainer John Gosden is spot-on that healthy horses should be able race without drugs, but that he's also not above taking the medical edge. "Gosden seems to be as big a fan of drugs as any American trainer. According to Bloodstock Research Information Systems records, Gosden has started seven different horses in North America since 2007 and all seven ran on one legal drug or another." If Mafaaz runs in the US, it'll probably be on race-day meds.
Posted by Delicious in Miscellany on 03/26/2009 @ 7:00 am
