Adversity can, at times, be the catalyst for positive change and the current fiscal austerity under which the New York Racing Association conducts business, while the wait for video lottery terminals at Aqueduct advances toward the decade mark, has raised the possibility that horses racing at its three racetracks may soon be freed from the required six-hour incarceration mandated five years ago .
The detention barn, established in a spasm of born-again integrity while NYRA, facing federal indictment and ultimately the loss of its franchise, was operating under the thumb of government-appointed monitors, has had no meaningful impact notwithstanding the apprehension of Jeff Mullins. The California-based bad boy was observed illegally administering an otherwise legal substance to a horse in the facility at Aqueduct prior to the 2009 Bay Shore Stakes.
Under detention-barn rules, all Lasix, now ubiquitous, is administered only by a veterinarian employed by NYRA. This could be done in a horse's stall. At the time of the establishment of sequestering, the illegal practice on "milkshaking," the pre-race administration of bicarbonate of soda and sugar with a tube, was prominent in the news and probably the inspiration for what turned out to be a mistake. Standard pre-race testing for this particular malfeasance is now conducted in almost every racing jurisdiction without imposition of unusual confinement.
Horses are held under surveillance for six hours before post time and are accompanied by a groom who expects to be paid. This is estimated to cost NYRA $1.2 million per year and the owners of the subject horses some $1.5 million -- about $100 per start -- not exactly a stimulus for ownership in New York. It also discourages horsemen stabled outside New York from shipping to run at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga even for important stakes races. Late arrival for the prescribed sentence results in a $500 fine for the trainer. Bottom line: A great deal of wasted time and money.
Few violations are known to have been thwarted within the detention-barn confines and there has been no discernable difference in the performance of horses trained by those whose success was viewed skeptically prior to its establishment. Nor has there been a reduction in the healthy skepticism widely shared by horseplayers. Meanwhile, horseplayers have seen new players inspire inexplicable form reversals, deepening suspicion despite tight security.
Considering the results, there was no cheating in New York in the first place or those cheating before the imposition of required isolation are still cheating and still not being caught. In either case, a great deal of money is being spend without apparent result, some by NYRA, which might put the funds to more useful purpose, some by owners, who resent the expense. The racing product has suffered for want of shippers, while gaming-fueled purses have grown appreciably in nearby states. The recently announced uncoupling of trainer entries in overnight races is a reaction to this but the attempt to increase the number of individual betting interests will have only minimal impact.
NYRA's desire to appear tough on would-be violators aside, the current level of post-race testing is quite sophisticated and random pre-race testing is a perfectly acceptable alternative to mandatory incarceration, which has often resulted in horses, particularly the young and inexperienced, reacting badly to changes of routine and surroundings. Alternatives to the detention barn abound, which does much to explain why there has been no rush by other racing associations to emulate NYRA's questionably effective security requirement.
The NYRA's current fiscal difficulties are in some ways beyond its control, but correcting what was a mistake in the first place would be a welcome serendipitous development for all the participants.
Officials claim to have been considering the elimination of the detention barn since last winter. That's a long time to be puzzling over a no-brainer.
Originally Posted on ESPN