From DRF 10/16--Cut/Paste/Color Commentary

[richiebee]

NTRA to create standards for its member tracks

By Matt Hegarty

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association plans to create a code of conduct for its member tracks for a certification program that will be monitored by former Wisconsin [non- Racing state] Gov. Tommy Thompson, the association announced on Wednesday.

The certification program, which NTRA officials said was modeled after several similar programs in the fields of insurance, education, and health care, will be the NTRA\'s effort to address concerns raised earlier this year by the general public [huge overstatement] and federal legislators that the racing industry does not adequately deal with medication and safety issues.

As a requirement of certification, member tracks will need to adopt yet-to-be-determined policies, comply with safety requirements, and support efforts to create national standards for medication rules, NTRA officials said.

According to officials, it is likely that the certification requirements will include a pledge to support efforts for uniform medication rules, including a ban on the non-therapeutic use of anabolic steroids; the ability to conduct out-of-competition testing for blood- and gene-altering drugs; the installation of inner safety rails; participation in the Jockey Club\'s injury reporting system; and the creation of a placement program for retired racehorses with one or more of industry\'s existing retirement farms.[All excellent, Bravo,Well Done]. [Unfortunately, this statement does not address what I believe is the greatest problem re performance enhancement-- the penalties are not penal enough]

Alex Waldrop, the chief executive of the NTRA, said that benefits from the certification program will be \"market-driven,\" contending that racetracks that comply with the program will draw a larger share of wagering dollars than those that do not. He acknowledged, however, that the NTRA - a marketing and lobbying organization that draws the bulk of its funding from tracks and horsemen\'s organization - has no power to enforce the rules. [The last sentence of this paragraph is the heart of the matter--this is a voluntary program]

\"The market will determine that it\'s valuable to be accredited,\" Waldrop said. \"We can\'t make them do it. But if they don\'t they\'re out of the alliance.\"

NTRA officials described the program as a way for racetracks to implement collectively the existing and future recommendations of both the Jockey Club\'s Thoroughbred Safety Committee and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. The Jockey Club formed the committee earlier this year as a response to the public scrutiny [PETA reaction = public scrutiny?] surrounding the death of Eight Belles after the Kentucky Derby.

Thompson, who is also a former secretary of Health and Human Resources and is now a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, and Feld, will be paid by the NTRA to issue periodic reviews of member tracks\' compliance with certification. The NTRA described Thompson as an \"independent counsel\" for the program.

When asked how he could ensure his independence as a paid consultant, Thompson cited his work as the health secretary during the George W. Bush administration, in which he brought attention to deficiencies in the U.S. food-inspection programs against the advice of the White House.[Heard presently and in the near future at many job interviews inside the Beltway--\"Yes I was in the Bush Administration, but I never agreed with them\"]  Thompson, who was also co-owner of Flashy Bull - the winner of the 2006 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs - also cited his participation in the sport.

\"I\'ve always been extremely independent, and it will be no different in this case,\" Thompson said. \"And the truth of the matter is, I\'m passionate about it.\"

Waldrop said that the NTRA hopes to complete the code of conduct by the end of 2008 or during the first three months of 2009.

The NTRA made its announcement nine days before the Breeders\' Cup, one of the rare occasions during the year in which the sport attracts national media attention.[The timing is bizarre--in 12 hours or so BC entries and results will become the center of attention for the next couple of weeks]

Four months ago, officials from the NTRA and other racing organizations appeared before a Congressional hearing in which the sport was widely criticized for failing to implement uniform rules and for having a laissez-faire attitude toward medication and drug-testing. Several legislators warned the industry that they were considering federal legislation to mandate changes for the sport.

This is a well meant effort, but I retain my right to be skeptical.

1) NTRA pre Alex Waldorp was charged with the marketing and development of the
brand of Racing, and have in my opinion failed miserably. Maybe NTRA will be
better as a quasi- regulatory agency than they are as a brand development and
marketing group.

2) I do not like being critical of a proposal without having an alternate
proposal. I believe that Congress should have recommended that the Governors of
the major Racing/Breeding states-- Kentucky, Florida, California, New York, New
Jersey, Louisiana, Illinois, Maryland, Texas, Arizona -- each appoint one full
time, compensated state employee to serve on an interstate racing advisory
committee.[Although it is not a Racing state, Nevada would be invited to send
a representative to the committee, and smaller states would be able to
voluntarily join].

[RICH]

Being in the health care industry, I know about accreditation, its a bunch of BS, it\'s not mandatory, some insurance companies want you to be accredited. A bunch of schmucks come in charge you and arm and a leg and require you to jump thru hoops, all for a piece of paper saying \"your accredited\". And still, being accredited does not mean you ain\'t lying, cheating and stealing anyway.

[miff]

\"Being in the health care industry, I know about accreditation, its a bunch of BS, it\'s not mandatory, some insurance companies want you to be accredited. A bunch of schmucks come in charge you and arm and a leg and require you to jump thru hoops, all for a piece of paper saying \"your accredited\". And still, being accredited does not mean you ain\'t lying, cheating and stealing anyway\"


Rich,

Could not have put it better.This just highlights how disconnected these people are from the reality of whats happening at the core of the game.


Mike

[TGJB]

Coupla things.

First of all, there already is an alternative proposal in place, by the Jockey Club, which though much more limited in scope is much better (it involves among other things freezing blood and making public the TCO2 test results, both crucial, and neither in the NTRA plan).

Second, Waldrop believes that tracks that are not certified will be seen as not running a clean game, and the leverage will come from the public (meaning US) betting less on their tracks. More on this later.

I suggested to the Jockey Club a couple of ways to enforce their recommendations, which I had a hand in shaping, so far they have not gone that route, I believe because they wanted to give the NTRA a chance. Problem is, at least in terms of what has been made public SO FAR, the NTRA plan won\'t do the job, even if the tracks go along. And it may get people off the JC plan, which is harder to do, and will cost more. So far-- and I want to emphasize we have to see how this plays out-- there is a possibility that those institutions that signed up still see the problem as one of perception, requiring only a solution of perception.

I\'m willing to give both the NTRA and JC a shot to make things work. But not an indefinite shot. The only way proper practices will be enforced in the end is when we, the betting public, enforce them, by withholding our handle, and by how we allocate it if we do bet. We\'ll see what happens by the spring, I\'m still thinking the first wednesday after the first saturday in May. Derby week is a very good time to get everyone\'s attention.

[HP]

Well...I am now in health care too.  This is not a great analogy.  In my end of health care, plenty of prospective clients ask if our company is accredited.  It\'s true that most of this is not mandatory, but if you say, \"no we are not accredited,\" there are lots of prospects that will find someone else who IS accredited to do business with.  So we jump through the hoops to get accredited so we will be eligible for a greater pool of potential business.  Your point that being accredited does not mean you may still be doing something wrong is well taken...  

If it worked out this way in horse racing, it might be alright, but the question is...how much are horseplayers like insurance companies?  My opinion is...not much.  After all, every day I go to the track I am looking at races and noticing names and going \"uh-oh\" and I play anyway.  As I read through this thing, it\'s obvious that the powers that be in racing are lacking a real committment to reform...

HP