Saratoga, Humidity and Steroids

Horse racing in New York will shift from the beautiful Belmont park on Long Island to "the summer place to be" in a land called Saratoga.

Big Brown won't visit 'Toga this summer, but there's sure to be a steady flow of some of the classiest dirt and turf horses out there.

Opening day is 10 days out and the weather in the Capital Region has been improving as it always does this time of year. And as a quasi-native to the area, it's not as humid in upstate New York during August as Rick Dutrow and others are indicating. I recall it typically being mid 80s, sunny and cloudless with low humidity in August, but I only live here so my argument may not be "credible."

Slowly, there seems to be a shift inside the horse racing industry to outlaw or voluntarily discontinue the use of steroids and other performance enhancers. I say this is the best thing going on for the sport right now.

But it's all talk until clearer standards with appropriate penalties are established for the cheaters.

I'll say it: Let's even out the field of play. For real. Actually do it. Come on. Why not?

Is that why Curlin finished 2nd yesterday in the Grade I Man O' War Stakes? Especially amidst this article claiming Curlin, the reigning horse of the year, was given anabolic steroids?

If a champion like this is found to have won his title by using a performance enhancer, what exactly is the makeup of a champion?

Come on, this is the only sport where we should be able to know for sure if the athletes are doping because we're higher on the food chain and we can test their blood without being sued.

Polytrack is a highly visible way to show strides for improving the safety of the sport. Stricter blood testing can improve the morale for everyone.

Mandatory blood tests can not only prevent doping, but they can exonerate trainers from accusations of using illegal methods and/or substances.