Truemors
Del Mar Race Track Retooled Surface Could Improve Running Times
When the ponies break out of the gate at the Del Mar Racetrack on July 16, odds are they’ll be healthier, and that the recently tweaked synthetic track will provide faster running times than last year.
Joe Harper, general manager of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, which operates the track, said last week that the state Horse Racing Board is expected to approve a rule change July 17 that would impose penalties for using four steroids previously allowed for training — boldenone, nandrolone, stanozolol and testosterone — and that officials would start testing when the 43-day meet begins.
Harper said trainers whose horses test positive would first receive a notification. If they show positive results on follow-up testing, they would face sanctions, such as the loss of race winnings or suspensions.
Usually, the first three winners of any race would be tested, or those that performed well in an earlier race but later performed badly, as did Big Brown at the Belmont Stakes when the Triple Crown contender came in dead last — a fact attributed in part to steroid withdrawal.
“I think it will go a long way to keep horses healthier on the track or keep them off the track if they’re not healthy,” he said.
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