These Horses Don't Have To Suffer. Help End The Widespread Doping Of Thoroughbred Racehorses.
The overuse of medications in Thoroughbred horseracing – both legal and illegal – is widespread in the U.S., and racehorses are paying for this every day with their lives.
An average of 24 horses die every week on American racetracks. Drugs are often given to injured animals so they can be pushed to compete when they should be allowed to rest and heal, which is a major cause of the high rate of catastrophic and deadly breakdowns in the U.S., compared to other racing nations.
Unlike most other sports, there is no national regulatory body that oversees the horseracing industry. Without one overarching regulating body, racehorse owners and trainers who are barred from racing in one jurisdiction can simply shop for a more permissive venue.
The Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act (H.R. 3084), introduced by Congressmen Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., would charge the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency with developing an independent anti-doping authority for Thoroughbred horse races. The authority would create universal rules on the use of performance-enhancing and pain-masking drugs, and develop and enforce sanctions against violators. Any racetrack that wanted to offer "simulcast" wagering would be required to participate.
Thoroughbred racehorses can not wait. We must urge our representatives to take action now to save the lives of these animals.
Sign the petition and urge your representative to cosponsor the Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act, H.R. 3084.
Dear Representative,
I am a constituent, and I urge you to please cosponsor the Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act, H.R. 3084 and do all you can to push for the passage of this important bill.
This legislation would improve the safety of horses in Thoroughbred racing by creating an independent anti-doping authority comprised of representatives from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency – the same agency that is recognized by Congress as the official anti-doping agency for the Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic sports in the U.S. – and members of the Thoroughbred industry. The authority would create universal rules on the use of performance-enhancing and pain-masking drugs, and develop and enforce sanctions against violators. Any racetrack that wanted to offer "simulcast" wagering would be required to participate.
The doping of racehorses puts both the equine and human athletes at risk. It is unacceptable for an average of 24 horses to die every week on American racetracks. Drugs are often given to injured animals so they can be pushed to compete when they should be allowed to rest and heal, which is a major cause of the high rate of catastrophic breakdowns in the U.S., compared to other racing nations. It's time for Congress, which enables the U.S. industry to operate by allowing gambling through the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, to impose some rules on an industry that has failed to clean up its problems on its own.
It is common for racehorses in the U.S. to be given drugs on race day to mask pain caused by injuries or enhance their performance, which stands in sharp contrast to horseracing standards in other major racing nations. In the U.S., there is a patchwork of over three dozen horseracing jurisdictions, all with different medications permitted, varying levels of those medications allowed, different penalties for violations and different laboratories used to do the testing. Without one overarching regulating body, racehorse owners and trainers who are barred from racing in one jurisdiction can simply move their business elsewhere. While racing without same-day medications is thriving around the globe, racehorses in the U.S. continue to be doped.
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