This Isn't Satire: Congress Holding Hearings On Thoroughbred Steroids

Oh jeez... just like something out of The Onion, Congress is actually holding a hearing on the use of steroids in the world of thoroughbred racing. The Kentucky Herald-Leader says the hearing is scheduled for the 19th. It's not really surprising, given the death of that one horse at the Derby, the collapse of Big Brown, the controversies surrounding Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow and all the steroids stuff.

What's Congress' prerogative for getting involved? The  Interstate Horseracing Act, it seems. Apparently the law has enabled the big-money simulcast industry.

It's kind of the way the anti-trust exemption for Major League Baseball allowed politicians to justify getting involved in the steroids stuff.

At least with MLB steroids, you could contort logic in such a way, so as to justify making it a public issue. Kids look up to Mark Magwire, and if he's using steroids, then won't they? It's rubbish logic, of course, easily debunked by a freshman philosophy major, but, it's soundibite-y, which is what counts.

What's the argument with horse racing, that yearling horses will see the success of Big Brown and demand horse steroids? And though it's understandable that Congress wants to look out for kid health, but do they care about horse health?  Who gives a shit, really.

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In related news, today might've been the last day of OTB betting in NYC. I think, though not totally sure.