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NASRC Committee Report: ILLEGAL PRACTICES Robert T. Mautz, Oregon, chairman; Jack Carnes, Arkansas; Allan M. Macleod, Massachusetts; Frank L. Christman, Washington; Hugh J. Strong, New Jersey. During the past year, this committee has replaced the former Committee on Stimulation and Drugs. The purpose of this change undoubtedly was to broaden the scope: of the committee in its inquiries into all types of stimulating or depressing of racing animals, although the specific scope of the committees work has not been defined. This report will not be as comprehensive as might be desired because. this is a new field of committee work and because it has been impossible by reason of the geographic distances involved for the members" of the committee to meet together and discuss the material to be included in the report. Probably the major threat that the so-called doping of horses presents to the sport of racing has developed to be largely one of public relations. Unfortunately, movies and fiction have depicted races as being regularly decided the night before they are run, with so-called "doping" being as much a part of the picture as murder is to the average "who dunnit" plot. It is true that once, upon a time doping was not altogether uncommon, and that the, sinister characters the movies love to portray were active in that trade; furthermore, there was a brief period when milder forms of stimulants were even occasionally detected in the best racing circles of the time. Corrupt Practices on Wane Racing has largely emerged from that period and, under the careful supervision of state racing commissions, track officials and with the active cooperation of racing organizations, all corrupt practices are on the wane. The days of the boys who could give a horse his "second breath" before he left the stall, or, to quote a wag . . . could improve the breed more In 10 minutes than husbandry could in a hundred years . . . has all but come to an end. Modern detection methods developed by the highly trained group now known as racing chemists have had a tremendous influence in discouraging use of illegal stimulants. Federal drug laws, too, have been important. The trend in racing . control legislation has been to define corrupt practices in racing, including stimulating or depressing of horses as felonies. During the 1953 session of the Oregon Legislature, bills of this character were enacted into law. The good effect of this legislation is partially responsible that no cases of illegal use of drugs were detected in the state of Oregon for the 1953 racing season. Pertinent provisions of the Oregon statutes are appended hereto. A review of the past several seasons shows a general decline in all practices inimical to the health of racing. For example, in 1953, there were only 39 cases of stimulation reported, to wit: Arizona 1 New York 1 California 2 Ohio 4 Florida . 2 Rhode Island 1 Illinois 7 Texas 1 Maine 2 West Virginia 4 Michigan 1 * Canada, Ont. 1 Nebraska 4- Cuba 2 New Hampshire 1 Mexico 1 New Jersey 2 Puerto Rico 2 *A battery case. Of the foregoing, two of the cases in Illinois and the one case in New York did not involve sufficient evidence to justify conviction of the charges. When it is remembered that these few cases arose from more than 30,000 races, the percentage of reported stimulations is very small indeed. While it thus appears that the stimulation and depression by use of drugs is apparently under satisfactory control, vigilance must be maintained at all times and, Continued on Pag* Forty-Two NASRC Committee Report: ILLEGAL PRACTICES * Continued from Page Three particularly, great care should be taken to detect and prevent other forms of stimulation such as condition reflexing, chaining, etc. The dishonest element in the racing fraternity is small, but there may always be some. With the use of drugs being so greatly eliminated, other methods can be expected to crop up if careful supervision is not constantly exercised. Commissioner Carnes of Arkansas, a member of this committee, has made certain suggestions to be included in this report. Since the report must be delivered to the secretary of the association not less than 30 days before the date fixed for the annual meeting and since, as aforesaid, your committee has not met in person prior to the submission of said report, the suggestions are set forth herein as those of commissioner Carnes and not as the views of the committee: First, that a uniform rule be adopted to read generally that any owner or trainer with two convictions of stimulation within a five-year period be denied a license at all tracks; second, that a laboratory and qualified chemist be established at every track and a saliva and blood test be given each winner immediately following each race; third, that an independent company be organized, similar to tote board or starting gate companies, owning a portable, mobile laboratory to move from track to track to do the testing and charging a rental fee. Your committee believes that it behooves all of us connected with racing to speak constantly and well of the solid progress being made toward a high standard of conduct in racing. Note: Chairman Mautz, in submitting the foregoing report, has appended the following sections from the Oregon Revised Statutes: 462.420. No person shall stimulate or de- prt., any animal involved in any race by the administration of drugs or by the use of any electrical device or equipment or by any mechanical or other device not sanctioned by the commission. 462.430. .No person shall influence or conspire or attempt to influence or conspire with any other person to affect the result of any race in which an animal participates by stimulating or depressing any animal involved in such race through, the administration of any drug to such animal, or by the use of any electrical device or equipment or by any mechanical or other device not sanctioned by the commission. 462.440. No person shall knowingly enter any animal in any race within a period of 48 hours after any drug has been administered to such animal or within 48 hours after such animal, has been stimulated or depressed by the use of any electrical or-mechanical device not sanctioned by the commission. 462.450. 1 No person shall possess, transport or use any local anesthetics or any barbituric acid preparation or derivative within the racing enclosure, except upon a bona fide veterinarians prescription with a complete statement of the uses and purposes of such prescription upon the container of such prescription. 2 A copy of such prescription shall be filed with the presiding steward of the race meet, and such prescription shall be used only with approval of the said presiding steward and under the direct supervision of a veterinarian representing the commission. 462.990. 2 Any person violating the provisions of ORS 462.420, 462.430, 462.440, 462.450, 462.460 and 462.470 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony and punished by imprisonment in the Oregon State Penitentiary for not more than two years or by a fine of not more than ,000, or by both.
