Promises, Promises...

Want to know how prevalent drugs, specifically steroids, are in racing? Look no farther than Delaware Park, where officials are having difficulty filling races because of the state's ban on anabolic steroids.

According to the most recent issue of The Bloodhorse (May 10), the track, which opened April 19, has had short fields. On May 3, in the six thoroughbred races conducted, three had fields of six or less. Officials were hoping for improvement with the opening of the turf course last week.

Explanations for the empty backstretch include direct competition from Gulfstream Park (since Delaware opened a week earlier when Gulfstream was still running), combined with the state of Delaware's ban on anabolic steroids. Racing secretary Izzie Trejo states, "When my office tries to hustle horses, we get the excuse that they don't want to get a steroid positive."

But get this. To combat the fear associated with testing positive (first time offenders have their horse banned from racing until the horse tests negative and all purse money must be forfeited), the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission decided to institute a "leniency period" to attract horses to the state. During this time--until September 30--the penalties for racing a horse on steroids are not as strict.

Currently Pennsylvania and Delaware are the only two states to ban anabolic steroids in race horses. Clearly the desired effect of improving conditions for the horses has had a negative effect on the Delaware track's ability to attract enough horses to stage decent races. And when the pocketbook starts to suffer, all the good intentions in the world, go out the window.

Equally apparent is the ability of trainers to work around inconsistent bans of substances from one state to another and go wherever they can run their horses on their arsenal of pharmaceutical cocktails that simply mask their horses' conditions. They go where they can run their horses ultimately into the ground.

Just as Dutrow can race Big Brown in the Triple Crown on drugs banned in other states, trainers can simply avoid racing in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Ironically, both Delaware Park and Philadelphia Park have casinos which generate larger purses and should attract better horses, but even that does not seem to be enough to risk racing a horse steroid-less.

And until there is a national racing commission that actually institutes and oversees the enforcement of consistent drug rules across all states, individual state racing commissions can ban steroids and then go back on their bans.

Shame on you Delaware Park. Why not try advertising yourself as one of the few steroid-free race tracks in existence and see if that doesn't attract a new generation of race goers? You know, the ones who actually care about the horses.