On Tuesday, Larry Rolla had a Hoosier Park based trainer on his podcast. The guest was explaining how he and his fellow horsemen are disadvantaged every day, racing at Hoosier. He said one of the greatest wrongs in harness racing today is the racing commissions and their employees.
He also complained about medication rules and how they are cruel to the horses. 72 hours out from any medications, 5 hour's in the paddock for lasix. No vet is allowed to treat a horse after racing until the following day. Vets must administer all medications and log every date and time . On and On how the current rules of medication and behavior is killing racing.
The expert guest trainer was, Scott Nance. Scott said only the outfits that were stabled on the grounds like his and 400 head of other trainers were subjected to such restrictions. Restrictions the make it so difficult to be successful. The others are ship-ins. They take care of business as usual, away from the track.
Scott also mentioned that all these restriction on treating and medication were not a worry for guys who turn their horses out between starts.
Scott has started 11 races at Hoosier Park, this year. No wins and about $1,500 in earning for the year.
I watch Larry's podcast every week. I find it entertaining. I have been around long enough to know many of the characters and events Larry speaks of. He has some shady characters on the show. Mob guys, admitted murderers, race fixers, huge drug dealers and many others are welcome on Larry and Friends. But Scott Nance brought nothing and of all the others may have cast the darkest shadow of how dead harness racing is.
