Former NYRA president Charles Hayward has always considered the California Horse Racing Board one of the best state regulatory agencies in the Thoroughbred industry. This winter’s issues at Santa Anita Park and the CHRB’s closed-door handling of the Justify scopolamine positive have further convinced him that the need for national oversight has become more vital than ever.
“The system is broken, and, if it is not replaced, the Thoroughbred racing industry has no future,” Hayward wrote at the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. “I have come to believe that no one in the state regulatory offices, in the executive offices of the racetracks, and certainly not the trainers nor the vets want to catch the cheaters.”
One of Hayward’s examples came from the late 2000s during his tenure with the New York Racing Association. A horse entered the paddock with a needle mark on its neck, and a search of the trainer’s barn found syringes and needles. The case was sent to the New York Racing and Wagering Board, but Hayward never heard back and his calls went unreturned.
“The Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019 provides a serious positive alternative to what the state regulators can do for the business,” Hayward continued, “and USADA’s history and experience would give us a fighter’s chance to take the betting business back from the cheaters.”
Read more at the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.
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