Scorecard

Drug Running

Until now, New York's thoroughbred racing establishment didn't permit its horses to run on any drug, even if it was legal in other jurisdictions. But beginning Sept. 1, trainers at Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga will be permitted to administer the most popular and controversial medication in the game: Lasix, a diuretic that inhibits pulmonary bleeding.

Though it is used in every other state of the U.S., Lasix is banned at all major tracks outside this country because it artificially improves performance. Which is why many trainers routinely give Lasix to healthy horses. They claim the drug enables thoroughbreds to train longer, compete more often and run faster. On any given day more than 75% of the horses running at Pimlico in Maryland and at Churchill Downs in Kentucky are Lasix-aided.

Some bleeders that would be unable to run without Lasix become big winners on the drug. That makes them desirable studs. Kentucky breeder Arthur Hancock III says Lasix is "polluting the gene pool, because horses are running on chemically induced ability instead of their natural ability. In another 20 years our children probably won't be able to breed a sound horse in America."

By bowing to industry pressure, the sport's showcase state—home to the Belmont Stakes and this Saturday's Travers Stakes at Saratoga—has abandoned one of the few ethical stances that remain in thoroughbred racing. Even New York Racing Authority flack Steven Crist, a relentless critic of Lasix when he was a New York Times racing writer from 1981 to '90, said recently, "There is a national horse shortage in this country, and it's more important for us to put on a respectable product than cling to a philosophical position."

This is hardly a philosophical matter: In an era in which every other major sport is trying to protect its athletes by purging performance-enhancing drugs, racing is galloping off in the wrong direction.

Intentional Grounding

Like his namesake, the Australian actor who played Crocodile Dundee, Paul Hogan knows what's down under. A recognized authority on playground safety, the Pennsylvania consultant has invented a contraption he calls MAX HIC (after "head injury criteria") to measure the density of turf. The handheld aluminum device, which sells for $5,750, is shaped like a human head. When dropped, MAX HIC gives a readout of ground compactness. This enables the user to determine potentially dangerous inconsistencies on a playing surface, which can be remedied by repacking the sod. "The denser the turf," Hogan explains, "the greater the chance of a head injury. Artificial turf is three times as dense as natural grass."

Hogan has tried to peddle MAX HIC to NFL reps. He says none of them were interested. Which raises the question: How dense is the NFL?

Different Spokes