Medina Spirit fails drug test

[omare]

Fair enough

[Ghazzu]

@skydy

If out of competition “things” are of great concern to you regarding horse welfare, then you should be much more concerned about USEF’s drug rules, which are much more lax, with less documentation required, and under which far fewer horses are tested.

It is unfortunate that TB racing has so many issues, however the reason that we can see these issues is a direct result of the required record keeping and testing of TB racehorses.

If horses showing under the auspices of USEF, or for that matter AQHA racing, were held to the same scrutiny as are TB racehorses, I think many people, like you and @BrendaJane, would adjust their attitudes about how terrible they believe TB racing is.

Is change needed? Of course it is, on many fronts of equestrian sport, not just TB racing.

This bears repeating.

[Sparrowette]

@skydy

@BrendaJane

After care.
If they are lucky enough to make it through til then.
It is a different entity, it;s not the racing officials.
The problem I am having with the industry - and I love racing - is that it is about the money.
a track has record breakdowns, MIT tells them the track base is bad - track managements just changes the surface.
The amount of legal medications is mind boggling to me.
The rest of the world does not allow that junk on the track!
It is about the betting public, not the horses, and most of them couldn’t care less if it is horses or guinea pigs running!

Yes, it is good that some people do care about the welfare.
Most don’t. I mean, I bet they like their horses, but the money they bring more.

It’s difficult to believe that you “love racing” when It’s clear from your post that you don’t. Most owners do care about their horses welfare. Some don’t.

Most horses don’t make their owners a lot of money. It’s an expensive hobby and the very wealthy owners certainly don’t need the purse money.

There is definitely a need for a governing entity to make the rules the same in all jurisdictions. They are working on it. Hopefully they can pull it together sooner rather than later.

That’s what I THOUGHT the TRPB was SUPPOSED TO BE. Why can’t they be dragged into the 21st century and do a job they were originally supposed to do???

[Laurierace]

TRPB covers licensing of participants, not drug regulations.

[Sparrowette]

In the old days, the TRPB was also about identification, because the issue was that horses would be substituted in races. Ways to cheat change. But instead of moving forward, the TRPB has stagnated and passed off ID to the Jockey Club. The TRPB has been around a while they didn’t have a lot of drug testing back in the 1930s. But the organization already exists, so how hard would it be to at least put some pressure on them to pick up their teeth and use them?? Get them to bring themselves up to date for what we’re seeing now and be the organization they were originally meant to be?

@Laurierace, I know I’m just an old gal hollering at the wind. But what I fear, is a multitude of regulatory organizations that at some point will be at cross purposes from each other. I can’t think of how, but life being what it is, it’ll happen! If it’s all packed into one organization, then they will have a much easier time sharing information with each part of itself about whatever is happening. Separate organizations? Not so much.

I’m just an old gal trying to look down the road. But yeah. Create yet another organization (who won’t feel the need to share info.)

Edit: Post has been edited from original.

[Laurierace]

How hard? Is impossible hard enough for you? They can have the highest testing ability on the face of the earth but they have no authority so it is irrelevant. The answer is a National Governing Body and with it uniform medication rules as I have been mentioning for decades literally.

[Sparrowette]

Sorry. You answered while I was editing.

[BrendaJane]

and you know why we don’t have it yet?
They don’t want it.

[Laurierace]

Who is they? And how is it you can to have insight into their thoughts and desires?

[skydy]

Interesting that Medina Spirit was being treated for EPM and had hock injections of Hyaluronic Acid as well as surgery to release an entrapped epiglottis.

CHRB Review Finds No Violations in Medina Spirit Death

[MHM]

@skydy

Interesting that Medina Spirit was being treated for EPM and had hock injections of Hyaluronic Acid as well as surgery to release an entrapped epiglottis.

Poor thing. He had a lot of issues in his short life.

[BrendaJane]

the caring entities in the industry.
If they - owners, breeders, trainers - wanted an organization with power to oversee them, we’d ave it.
But you knew that.
Too many horses fall through gaps.

After Creative Plan Case, New Welfare Reforms Could Be On The Way At Turf...

[Laurierace]

I know a lot of stuff but don’t know anyone in the industry that doesn’t want uniform medication rules. You may want to upgrade the people you know.

[Mara]

I can’t be the only one who raised an eyebrow at the notion of keeping a horse in full training while treating him for EPM? Even presuming he was subclinical, that seems a bit foolhardy.

[skydy]

@Mara

I can’t be the only one who raised an eyebrow at the notion of keeping a horse in full training while treating him for EPM? Even presuming he was subclinical, that seems a bit foolhardy.

Yes, especially with hind end weakness as the first indication.

[snaffle1987]

my attitude about drugs is the same regardless of discipline. but this is the racing forum and we are talking about the drugs in the racing world in the worlds biggest televised stages at the expense of bettors money. The implications of the public perception is much greater on the stage of the kentucky Derby than that of Suzie Q at hunter finals

[Willesdon]

Just a comment, but a race horse in tip top condition under the intensive care of professional racing staff nonetheless has an extensive skin condition requiring medication over more than ten days. Odd, to me.

The necropsy seemed to highlight a lot of issues in a three/four year old horse. Maybe no violations but possibly a lot of doubtful management.

[ZELLA]

Via the necropsy, many of us learned for the first time that Medina Spirit was a cryptorchid.
Plus degenerative joints and possible EPM.
I am aware there have been successful cryptorchid breeding stallions; the damsire of Protonico was AP Indy who was one. However…
How high a stud fee could one have set for an honest little horse with this history?
Was he fertile?
Was he insured?

[Ghazzu]

The incidence of cryptorchidism in TBs is higher than you might think, because speed is valued more than the presence of 2 testicles in the scrotum.

[LaurieB]

@ZELLA

Via the necropsy, many of us learned for the first time that Medina Spirit was a cryptorchid.
Plus degenerative joints and possible EPM.
I am aware there have been successful cryptorchid breeding stallions; the damsire of Protonico was AP Indy who was one. However…
How high a stud fee could one have set for an honest little horse with this history?
Was he fertile?
Was he insured?

As a horse with his race record, it’s almost certain that he was insured for mortality. His fertility wouldn’t have been checked–because it never is until a stud deal has already been made.

Even with the Derby win, his stud fee potential was limited. Without it, his connections probably would have been hoping for a deal at a regional farm.