Skate Boards and Freeway Ramps

I’ve written before about Ned Bonnie’s excellent article on the ill-fated Corrupt Horse Racing Practices Act, and mentioned it again in my last post, but I just found a copy of it online and thought I’d provide a link:

Edward S. Bonnie, Corrupt Horse Racing Practices Act of 1980: A Threat to State Control of Racing, 70 KY.L.J. 1159 (1982).

I recommend reading it if you have any interest in racing regulation, because the depth of research is superb, and an understanding of the history of federal intervention is essential to structuring regulation prospectively.

An interesting thing to note is that bute and lasix were both legalized with a view to enabling horses to race more often and keep them in racing longer. Regardless of whether or not these two substances serve therapeutic purposes that are ultimately for the good of racing, perhaps focusing on whether they have achieved the purpose that initially justified their use should be the major factor in determining whether they should have a place in a more regulated industry.

Also, don’t forget to vote on the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance photo contest entries. First round voting is open until January 11th, so go vote on your favorites!