Interesting columns the last week or so from two DRF writers. One has won about fifty Eclipse Awards and the other you probably do not want to see come knocking on your door. Means you are in trouble or about to be.

The Hegarty column on the Assmussen positive was better than listening to the Comedy channel. Assmussen has had so many positives in the last 6-8 years that it is only a matter of time that Asst Trainer Scott Blasi leads the nation in wins. And then wins an Eclipse himself. Think about that one for a while.

Assmussens defense that the Vet gave the horse the wrong illegal drug he ordered him to use is enough to get you a lifetime ban not six months. Why is anyone telling a Vet to give a horse any illegal drugs? I thought Marty Wolfsons explanation of why he illegally doped his horse before the American Derby at Arlington was the worst I had ever heard. Assmussen and Wolfson have had more career positives than the entire Track and Field industry. Which is starting to look serious about its problem.

Hovdey seemed to imply that medication testing results be posted for all to see. Hovdey's scope is far to narrow. Post the active Vet of record for all respective horses. Trainers and Vets should be required to log in everyday and update a central database of every damn drug dispensed and induced into every horse on every goddam day. If something shows up on a bill that wasn't put into the central database you are gone. "As in gone" You think CVS, Walgreens or Rite-Aid or Merck Medco could get away without doing this.

The Pacific Classis test results were publicly posted because Murray Johnson said something about Lava Man. Murray apologized but then why should he. Alan Shuback in the same days edition as Hegarty's column stated and I quote, "Lava Man is the poster boy for short-term benefits of race day medication......let Lava Man run medication free in the Pacific Classic and see how far he gets beat. Here is betting he wouldn't beat a single horse home."

Shuback as far as I know didn't apologize to anyone and he shouldn't have if he really believes it.

The drug trainers are still out there. Much quieter than they used to be. Not winning nearly as many big races as they used to or moving horses up to astronomical levels with nothing more than a feed change. At least according to them. They are out there hoping all of this blows over and goes away so they can go back to business as usual.

But that is not going to happen. If anything the pendulum on the drug issue is swinging in favor of the clean guys. Guys you know, like and trust. The sport never should have allowed them to be pushed aside. Let’s hope they are all not to bitter when they all come back.