Kentucky horse trainers are accepting the steroid restriction with open minds and open arms. They believe that it is finally time for something like this to happen and that it is a positive change for the Kentucky Horse Racing scene. They also believe that it should be something the international horseracing and dressage community should follow.

This year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown may forever be infamous for becoming Horse Racing’s Barry Bonds – both have their athletic careers laced with steroids. But, that doesn’t mean that the Kentucky Derby can’t move on. Next year’s races will be much cleaner and healthier for the horses.

It was last September when the Kentucky (Horse) Racing commission outlawed the use of steroids as performance enhancers for horses. Today, Horse trainers are voicing out about the implemented restrictions.

“It’s not bothering me. We’re at a 45 percent win clip at Philadelphia Park this year. We’re at a 28 percent win clip at Delaware Park,” Said Trainer Chris Grove, “For the whole year, we’re maintaining a 20 [to] 22 percent win rate. So it isn’t bothering me.”

Another trainer Linda Albert added, “I quit using them a couple of years ago, because I knew this was happening. I was surprised it took this long. I suppose some of these guys are using them a lot. Like Dutrow said, they use them on a regular basis. It took for the Derby … Big Brown … for everyone to go, ‘Ooh,’ but all of us [in racing] were not surprised he was using them,” Albert said. “But the public, particularly people not familiar with horse racing, was surprised.”

The Steroid ban came into effect on January 1, 2008.

A few weeks ago, a Kentucky governor passed a regulation against using steroids on racing horses. Today, Kentucky is taking another step to improve their Horse Racing scene. This time they are taking a humane route by regulating the type of whips used in Horse Racing. They may also ban several whipping techniques used by jockeys to make their mounts go faster.

A Kentucky welfare and safety panel took to voting last Monday – September 15. The group came to the agreement that they will be outlawing certain whips used by horse racing jockeys. The panel will also ban Riding crops that have snappers at the end. These types of crops are considered inhumane because they leave welts on the body of the horse. One-handed whipping will also be banned and jockeys are advised to keep their hands in front of their bodies during the race.

Approval of the following restrictions is up to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The commission is to reconvene on September 22. Some members of the commission are positive that the regulations will pass and that these restrictions are long overdue. One commission member Alan Leavitt had this to say:

“The perception on the part of the gamblers was if the horse wasn’t really beaten, they weren’t getting their money’s worth. But most of the great drivers will tell you it doesn’t affect the way a horse races.”