FALCON POINTS

Latest horse racing scandal shows PEDs are still a thing, and baseball should pay attention, too

Latest horse racing scandal shows PEDs are still a thing, and baseball should pay attention, too
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Maximum Security

I have long been an advocate and fan of horse racing. My love for the sport goes back decades, and I am still very much involved with racing. So when the news broke on Monday that the FBI had charged 27 people in an elaborate doping scheme designed to enhance the performance of race horses, my reaction was two-fold.

1) Embarrassment for the sport I have invested so much in over the years.

2) Happy to see these scumbags caught.

Rough year

Of course, pundits are already weighing in. And they should. Horse racing has been in the cross hairs for all the wrong reasons in the past year. The horse deaths at Santa Anita. The disqualification in the Derby. The shocking news that Justify should have never been allowed in the Triple Crown races.

Now this. And most people react with a collective yawn. Cheating in horse racing? Who knew? A baseball sign stealing scandal becomes national news and is over-reported to death. But where is the outrage for this?

PEDs are nothing new

When baseball's PED scandal exploded, lost was a simple fact: Performance enhancing started with horse racing. It then moved on to human athletic endeavors. When it became public, baseball players went before Congress; no one raised an eyebrow at horse racing.

And it is well past time we should. Both sports have checkered pasts. Would it shock anyone that they are using new PEDs that can't be detected?

The latest scandal

If the FBI is to be believed - and they reportedly have multiple phone conversations recorded - several trainers, including Jason Servis, trainer of 3-year-old champ and recent winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup, Maximum Security - were using a substance called SGF-1000.

The PED is "intended to promote tissue repair and increase a racehorse's stamina and endurance beyond its natural capability."

While racing has tests for many drugs, SGF-1000 is not one of them. One of the veterinarians indicted was caught on tape saying "They don't even have a test for it … there's no test for it in America."

While everyone is innocent until proven guilty, if the tapes are to be believed, this group of people will have a hard time selling a not guilty verdict.

And there's more

Forget the fraud perpetrated on the betting public - we will get to that - the dangers to the horses are obvious. There were drugs that enhanced blood cell counts, and even snake venom was used to dull pain. In essence, it allowed injured horses to run. And yet the world is shocked when there are horse deaths on the track. Don't think these things aren't related.

In addition, it's always suspicious when a trainer starts taking horses from other trainers and immediately improves their performance. It is extremely common, and Servis is one of those. It is also unfair to the trainers who are not cheating.

Long history

Like baseball, horse racing has a long history of pushing the limits to get an edge. Many riders have used "buzzers," shocking devices to make the horses run faster. Some have fed horses edible marijuana for soreness. And if you hang around the track long enough, you will hear all kinds of stories. Some are pure fantasy; but there are enough cases that almost anything is believable. And if you think it is just the people caught on tape by the FBI, think again. It is widespread, as common as steroid use was in baseball. And it needs to stop.

Many suffer

At its purest, horse racing is a beautiful sport, with equine athletes combining with human athletes in the most authentic of competitions. There are trainers and people connected to the horses who love the animals who make their livelihood, and treat them better than children. But then there are the quick-buck artists who are looking for big paydays; con men and women who are only out for money. They exist in every walk of life, but when they encroach on racing and endanger an animal, they cross the line. They make millions of dollars off of these creatures and squeeze out every penny they can get with no regard for the horses or betting public. These people need to be weeded out of the sport. Monday's arrests should be just the start.

The forgotten group

As someone who bets on the races, this behavior is unacceptable beyond the danger to the animals we all love. They are committing fraud against the horseplayer. Our group is the most under appreciated in racing. Without people betting on the races, there would be no horse racing. Yet the player has little voice. Some tracks actually cater to the player (Sam Houston and Santa Anita among them) but most simply don't care. The criminal element in the sport clearly doesn't care about us, either. And without us, you don't exist. It's way past time somebody recognized that.

Racing needs to take a hard look at itself and clean this up immediately. But will it? Probably not. The reality is that none of these scandals ever brings change.

And that frankly sucks, because there are good people in the sport, and there are those of us who love to bet and watch the athletes at their best.

As horseplayers, we want two simple things: An honest race to bet on and safety for the animals and jockeys that ride them. There are more people who think like that than there are cheaters and criminals, but the latter group is too big, and something needs to be done.

Back to baseball

The scary part is, if there are PEDs that aren't tested for in horse racing, then should we not assume they have trickled into baseball and other sports again, like they did in the first place? Are we buying the "juiced ball" theories again? The big difference is when a baseball player does it, it is his choice, and the damage he does is self-inflicted.

The horses do not have that choice, because these scumbags made it for them.

As a fan of the sport, I am embarrassed. But I am glad they got caught. And I hope they get everyone else who is doing it as well, so we get an honest and fair run for our money from athletes whose lives are not being unnecessarily put at risk.

And I hope this tip of the iceberg does not extend to other sports. Because it certainly has before.

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Lions storm back to beat the Texans, 26-23. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Jake Bates made a 52-yard field goal as time expired, and the Detroit Lions overcame a career-high five interceptions by Jared Goff to rally for a 26-23 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

The Lions improved to 8-1 for the first time since 1954 with their seventh straight victory overall and fifth in a row on the road.

Detroit trailed 23-7 at halftime after Goff threw three interceptions in the first two quarters, and he threw two more picks in the third. Nonetheless, the Lions scored 16 straight points to tie it with about five minutes to go on Bates' 58-yard field goal.

The Texans (6-4) had a chance to take the lead with just under two minutes left, but Ka'imi Fairbairn’s 58-yard try was wide left.

The Lions became the first team to win when throwing five or more interceptions since Atlanta beat Arizona 23-19 on Nov. 18, 2012, when Matt Ryan was picked off five times.

Be sure to watch the video below as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts live to the loss on YouTube!

David Montgomery ran for 3-yard touchdown early in the third, but his run on the 2-point conversion try was stopped, leaving the Lions down 23-13. A 9-yard TD reception by Amon-Ra St. Brown got Detroit within 23-20 early in the fourth quarter.

Goff threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 71 yards.

C.J. Stroud threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, but he threw two interceptions in the second half as the Texans were shut out after the break to lose for the third time in four games.

Goff's five picks were the most by an NFL player since Jameis Winston threw five on Oct. 13, 2019, for Tampa Bay against Carolina.

Goff hadn’t thrown an interception in five games and entered Sunday with just four all season. His previous career high was four in a loss to Chicago while with the Rams on Dec. 9, 2018.

Rookie Kamari Lassiter led the Texans with two interceptions as they set a franchise record for picks.

Jimmie Ward intercepted Goff on Detroit’s first drive on a ball that was tipped by Jalen Pitre to give Houston the ball at the Detroit 33. The Texans made it 7-0 when Joe Mixon ran 8 yards for a touchdown.

A 34-yard field goal by Fairbairn extended the lead to 10-0 with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Detroit cut the lead to 10-7 on a 20-yard touchdown reception by Sam LaPorta.

The Texans were up by 6 when Denico Autry hit Goff’s arm as he threw and the ball fell into the hands of Henry To’oTo’o to give Houston possession at the Detroit 36.

But the Texans couldn’t move the ball after that and settled for Fairbairn's 29-yard field goal that made it 16-7 with about four minutes left in the first half.

Houston extended the lead to 23-7 when Stroud found John Metchie III for a 15-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left in the second quarter. It was the first career touchdown for Metchie, who missed his entire rookie season in 2022 undergoing treatment for leukemia.

Goff threw his third interception when Lassiter picked off his desperation throw on the last play of the first half.

Davis intercepted Stroud on the first play of the second half. But Lassiter grabbed his second interception of the game three plays later.

After Montgomery's touchdown, Detroit's Carlton Davis III leapt in front of Tank Dell in the end zone for his second interception. Goff threw his fifth pick two plays later, but the Texans couldn't capitalize and were forced to punt.

Injuries

Texans: DE Will Anderson Jr. missed the game with an ankle injury. ... WR Nico Collins didn’t play after being activated from injured reserve Saturday. … Lassiter left in the third quarter with a concussion.

Up next

Lions: Host Jacksonville next Sunday.

Texans: Visit Dallas on Monday, Nov. 18.


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