THOROUGHBRED HORSE RACING: WHY A UNIFORM APPROACH TO DRUG REGULATION IS NECESSARY

Note Written by: Cody M. Connor

In May 2008, a crowd anxiously witnessed the aftermath of Eight Belle’s narrow defeat in the Kentucky Derby. Whereupon crossing the finish line, Eight Belles collapsed on two broken legs and was subsequently euthanized in front of a captivated audience—both present and at home. As the world tried to understand this tragedy, the trainer of the Kentucky Derby winner, a horse named Big Brown, made a shocking admission: he had administered performance enhancing steroids to Big Brown prior to the race. After this startling admission, the horse racing community fell into a frenzy, stoking the debate around steroid regulation for horse racing commissions across the United States. This debate has driven the commissions to request Congress to adopt uniform rules regulating drug usage in thoroughbred race horses. This request, however, has largely proven ineffective. Accordingly, this Note argues that congressional action must be taken to achieve a uniform approach to drug regulation in thoroughbred racing.

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