The approval for the banning of anabolic steroids for racehorses by the Maryland Racing Commission flooded the news reports released online during the third week of September. This rule is expected to be implemented by January 1 according to the report released by Child Walker of Baltimuresun.com, Maryland’s leading online news source.

Online reports stated that this move had been projected for weeks, which actually followed the same moved made by the Kentucky Racing Commission in late August. This time, Belmont Stakes of New York is also deeming firmer rules concerning to doping. So far, the surrounding states in Maryland such as Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, are executing similar bans in place.

Associated Press Sports also unveiled that the public scrutiny for the doping issue in horse racing marked an increase after the confession of Rick Dutrow Jr., the trainer of Big Brown, to the use of anabolic steroid stanozol on the Preakness Stakes winner and Kentucky Derby. Dutrow is said to receive several suspensions and fines for doping violations from year 2000 according to Walker’s report.

Concerning to this matter, the Executive Director of the Maryland Racing Commission, Mike Hopkins, said: “I think the general consensus in the industry is that these drugs should not be used the way they have been used.” Essentially, the ban covers four anabolic steroids, stanozol is already included. Hopkins uttered that this specific compounds have not been monitored for several years already and the control of them is great for the industry. He also explained that the new policy should be approved first by the administrative panel composed of senators and states delegates before it can finally be implemented. However, since the ban is already approved by the racing commission on an emergency basis; the process of the review would be more advanced. “I am very proud that Maryland has joined the ban,” said by J. William Boniface, veteran trainer of Darlington. “It is better for the sort, the sport’s image and, more importantly, for the horse,” he added.

Because of the ban, horses will be prevented from having excessive amount of steroids in their blood. Boniface testified that steroids are bad for horses. He said, “We have artificially stimulated growth in young horses with steroids to the detriment of the breed.” He further explained his claim by saying that although the racing needs such process for the purpose of public image; it does not look healthy to see a strong yearling that is being pushed along its growth by steroids. Excessive growth leads to fatal bone problems and more dangers. Anyhow, Hopkins still mentioned the beliefs of the veterinarians wherein these banned drugs create no effect to the performance of the horse if they are only given below certain levels.

In essence, the decision of the commission founded its standards on recommendations by the National Organization of Horsemen, the Racing Medication, racing veterinarians and officials that are pushing for measures to significantly progress the integrity of racing.

So far though, the current approved policy does not include sentences for trainers who are guilty of doping yet. But Hopkins stated that racing officials and horsemen will beat out those standards on January 1. But still, trainers who are caught using bute or phenylbutazone, an anti-inflammatory drug, will be suspended and will pay fines that cost $500 to $1,500 for the violations. Finally, Hopkin stated that this move is a mark that indicates Maryland is falling into the right step.

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