California Horse Racing Board Decision Relating to Triple Crown winner Justify Amounts to an Industry and Regulatory Cover-Up
Contact:
Marty Irby • 202-821-5686
marty@animalwellnessaction.org
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Today, on the heels of the California Horse Racing Board’s decision Tuesday to deny further investigation into the controversial doping scandal related to 2018 Triple Crown Winner, Justify and the Santa Anita Derby, the Animal Wellness Foundation and Animal Wellness Action issued the following statement from Animal Wellness Action executive director Marty Irby:
“Justify’s infraction could have excluded him from Triple Crown races because of illegal substances in his system. The Triple Crown win may not have been warranted. Yet the California Horse Racing Board refuses to admit it acted inappropriately by not announcing this violation. What’s more, it’s denied a conflict of interest even though its chairman does business with the key trainer involved.
“Horse racing, more than ever, needs independent national oversight, and that’s exactly what the Horseracing Integrity Act would do by placing drug testing under the purview of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Denial of further investigation into the potential corruption in California continues to drag down the industry and compromise the welfare of the horses – Congress should intervene.”
Click here for today’s online release.