Page 18 - 31 August 2012

RACING FREE
A group of owners pledge to run drug free.
Racing Free gives horsemen the ability and incentive to start fighting the problem of illegal drugs on their own
by Stacy Pigott
Last month in this space, I wrote about the need for owners to step up to the plate and take responsibility for their horses. A small group of
Thoroughbred owners had pledged to stand up for what they believed in, while another Thoroughbred group started the “Water Hay Oats Alliance,” a grassroots movement to support the passage of federal legislation to prohibit the use of performance enhanc- ing drugs in horse racing on race day. Meanwhile, in the Quarter Horse industry, an idea hatched in the middle of the night was starting to develop and grow.
A few months ago, Micah McKinney, of Reliance Ranches, awoke at 4 a.m. with a crazy idea—he wanted to start an incentive-based program to reward owners and trainers for racing their horses without the use of performance-enhancing drugs. And in those wee hours of the morning, Racing Free was born.
Micah and his wife Leslie talked to industry lead- ers, racetracks and racing commissions, and began sketching out plans for the program. After several rough drafts, they unveiled Racing Free at an open meeting in Ruidoso on Aug. 15, the night before the All American Futurity trials. Approximately 50 own- ers, breeders, trainers, jockeys, and industry representa- tives attended the meeting to learn about Racing Free.
The Racing Free website, www.racingfree.com, states: “Racing Free is dedicated to the elimination of dangerous and often illegal performance-enhancing drug use in U.S. horse racing. Our initial plan of action is to give owners and trainers who choose
not to use performance-enhancing drugs a place to compete for the safety of the animal and the integrity of the sport of horse racing.”
The day after the meeting, 26 trials were run
to determine the 10 finalists for the All American Futurity. One trial winner, Jess A Zoomin, had tested positive for dermorphin during the Ruidoso Futurity trials months earlier. Despite setting the second- fastest qualifying time to the All American Futurity, Jess A Zoomin will not be returning for the finals as he was pulled up after the race, vanned off, and later euthanized. Jess A Zoomin was not the only horse that broke down that day, but the simple fact that he had, at one time, raced on dermorphin was a chilling reminder of the urgent need for our industry to deal with the issue of illegal drugs.
While politicians debate federal legislation and racing commissions discuss rules and penalties, Racing Free gives horsemen the ability and incentive
to start fighting the problem of illegal drugs on their own. And it starts with the owners.
Racing Free explains their program as such: “Beginning in Fall 2012, participating tracks will run a Racing Free Incentive Program. Any owner who supports the movement towards performance- enhancing drug free racing will pay a per-meet entry fee into the Racing Free program. At the end of each meet, any Racing Free horse that wins a race and has a clear drug test will be rewarded substantially. In addition, the trainer, owner and jockey with the most Racing Free horse wins will be rewarded with end-of- the-meet monetary bonuses.”
Currently, it costs $300 per meet to enroll a horse in the Racing Free program. When that horse wins
a race, should he pass all drug tests (based on each state’s applicable drug regulations and including no overages of legal, therapeutic medications—a positive test is a positive test, says Micah), the owner will be paid back a sum projected to be $1,500—five times the enrollment fee. There will also be end-of-the-meet awards for the Racing Free owners, trainers, and jockeys with the most wins.
Eventually, Racing Free would like to see a condi- tion book that includes races written specifically for Racing Free horses as the program gains in popularity and size. They also hope to enlist corporate sponsors to support the program and fund scientific research.
The Racing Free membership agreement states,
in part: “The members of Racing Free are commit- ted to performance-enhancing drug-free racing, with the goal that the vast majority of races in the United States will eventually be certified Racing Free races, reducing race day injuries and leveling the playing field for all races across the United States. Racing Free members are also committed to the industry utilizing the most thorough drug testing practices and integ- rity being returned to the sport.”
Micah and Leslie’s enthusiam for this new pro- gram is infectious, and, while Racing Free is still in its infancy and is likely to go through some changes along the way, it is off to a great start.
I encourage you to visit the Racing Free website at www.racingfree.com and pledge your support. It doesn’t cost anything to show the world that you are committed to racing free of performance-enhancing drugs. If you’re an owner, I urge you to seriously consider support-
ing this new program by enrolling your horses. If they could, I’m sure your horses would thank you.
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SPEEDHORSE, August 31, 2012
UNDER WRAPS