I’ve spoken to trainers and owners preparing for this week’s @BreedersCup, and the overwhelming theme is FRUSTRATION. Between excessive veterinary scrutiny, PET scans and scratches, what should be one of the most exciting weeks in racing has become stressful, frustrating and downright unenjoyable. I’m 100% for Thoroughbred safety, but I’m also 100% FOR THOROUGHBRED RACING!!!!! At some point, enough is enough. I’m not a veterinarian or trainer, but I listen to those who have spent 20-30 years caring for horses. One concern I keep hearing is whether restrictions on therapeutic medications and treatments are actually doing more harm than good. Could a horse with a manageable condition end up compensating and injuring something else because appropriate treatment was restricted??? ARE WE PROTECTING HORSES OR PROTECTING REGULATIONS??? Are some medication withdrawal periods unnecessarily long??? Could shortening certain periods allow better treatment without compromising safety??? And LASIX continues to make ZERO sense to me. We allow it in claiming and allowance races but prohibit it for two-year-olds and stakes horses??? Does Lasix suddenly become dangerous because the purse is bigger??? If it’s harmful, ban it everywhere. If it’s beneficial, why not allow it consistently??? OUR GOAL SHOULD BE HEALTHIER HORSES, NOT SIMPLY FEWER MEDICATIONS!!!!! And of course, let’s not forget the @jockeyclub. They helped draft the legislation behind HISA, and somehow the same familiar faces keep appearing throughout The Jockey Club, Keeneland and Breeders’ Cup leadership. Everett Dobson chairs The Jockey Club, is a Keeneland trustee and a Breeders’ Cup member. Bill Lear helped draft the legislation and is also a Keeneland trustee. DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. SAME INNER CIRCLE. Amazing how much influence a small group of clowns can have over an entire industry, yet somehow accountability always seems harder to find. HISA spends approximately $80 million annually. We should demand safer racing, fewer fatalities and catching cheaters. But shouldn’t we also question whether some of these regulations are making things WORSE??? We’re already dealing with a declining foal crop, shrinking fields, frustrated horseplayers and owners wondering why they’re spending millions to participate in a sport that’s becoming less enjoyable every year. HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE DO WE NEED TO DRIVE AWAY BEFORE SOMEONE REALIZES WE HAVE A PROBLEM??? WE MUST PROTECT OUR HORSES, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO PROTECT AND GROW THE FUTURE OF THOROUGHBRED RACING. THOSE TWO OBJECTIVES SHOULD NEVER BE IN CONFLICT!!!!! Am I missing something here, or has common sense become the latest scratch??? What do you guys think???