Surprise! Derby Horses Tested for Drugs

It's interesting to see how the alleged doping scandals in baseball and track and field are affecting other sports that you wouldn't think would be affected, such as horse racing. For the first time in the 133-year history of the Kentucky Derby, all 20 horses were given surprise pre-race tests for performance-enhancing drugs on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The decision to test the horses was made to ensure that the state’s medication rules were being followed, not because there was any suspicion of wrongdoing, said Mark York of the Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet in the article. Certain blood-doping agents such as EPO (erythropoietin) and darbepoietin are illegal because they increase the number of oxygen-carrying red-blood cells and boost a horse’s endurance. In some cases, these drugs can kill the animals. A positive test could result in disqualification. Test results will not be revealed until after Saturday’s race.