Girly:

The resident expert and host of this forum is TGJB. In his post entitled "Okay,
Listen" he is basically saying that the presence of performance enhancing
medications and methods is part of horse racing and needs to be given
consideration in any handicapping exercise. Possibly performance enhancement is
given too much emphasis on this board to the dismay of some, but I for one feel
that the issue is important enough that the dialogue be allowed to continue.

(This one's for you, Indulto, if you are out there). There are two possible
resolutions to the performance enhancement "problem". One is that Racing will
adopt the "Amsterdam" approach, where all medications and methods are
permitted, and assistant trainers will be injecting the animals at the same
time the trainer is tightening the girth in the paddock. The other alternative
is the "zero tolerance" approach, hopefully coupled with significant penalties
for those who are found guilty. Either way, once the playing field is leveled as
far as performance is concerned...

...THERE WILL STILL BE CHEATING! There will still be a crafty jockey waiting
somewhere in a fog bank, or a trainer who tries to beat the horse identifier by
running a 3YO against 2YOs,or a Clerk of Scales who looks the other way while a
jockey pigs out on a bowl of pasta, or a track superintendent who can determine
the results of a days races by deciding to scrape a track, or an owner who
insists that his horse be raced in two or three or ten or twelve spots before
he is placed in a race that suits his ability level and the owner can cash a
bet...

Welcome aboard, Girly. I'm tired now, having just walked 18 holes of golf (and
swung the club too many times) after a 12 hour shift at work.

I kind of feel like Vito Corleone in the tomato patch right now.