IRB employees, i.e., 'political appointees,' and Illinois' 'recapture' need to go         

To the editor:

The recent horse deaths at Arlington Park from this past May until the present as well as the horses who've dropped dead at other racetracks and on other off-track stabling facilities in the state have now finally brought the Illinois Racing Board into the public's microscope all over the world. The accountability rests with the IRB, and the cover-ups can now longer be "brushed under the rug."

Roughly $3 million is spent on a so-called "state-of-the-art testing facility" that was previously coined the "IRB Labs," with the name on door of the same offices recently changed to the University of Illinois at Chicago, overseen by a university doctor.

For years, since the inception of the IRB in 1927 and most recently in the adoption of the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975, political favors have been done not only to the so-called "chemical trainers" of the sport but also to the Illinois racetrack owners who are literally getting away with murder -- to both the horses themselves as well as to the supporters of the sport: the betting public and the public eye.

So who's held accountable for one of Illinois' best-kept secrets in a $10 billion-plus industry in our state? Are these urine and blood samples really being tested and the truth about the horse necropsies being reported? It all lies on the select few who are the IRB employees who run the show and its commissioners, who may be dumbfounded to know.

On July 11, the IRB addressed the public at its most recent meeting, with all of the major Chicagoland TV, radio and newspapers representing themselves to report back to the general public as well as the racing fans on the cause and effects of the 16 horses who've supposedly been "put down" or euthanized due to a bad surface or detrimental weather conditions at a certain north suburban racetrack.

The sugarcoating down at the IRB offices has lost its sweet flavor, everyone. The entire thoroughbred industry has several inconsistencies that need to be addressed, from as simple as the breeders and consignors who prep the horses to be sold to even the racetrack veterinarians who've been approving these equine athletes to race, sometimes without going through pre-race examinations, due to the funding sources and manpower issues the IRB is facing.

The IRB needs its house cleaned, as its primary function is to oversee racing in our state as well as maximize state revenue, which now includes covering up horse deaths and making a recent $13 million for the state. All while the racetrack operators walk away with tens of millions more due to continued tax breaks and other political favors benefiting the select deemed few? -- besides making millions more through recapture, which I feel is UNCONSTITUTIONAL, based on 1994 "handle," or total revenues generated based on today's yearly numbers against wagering dollars from '94.

Just yesterday [July 12; letter written July 13], the IRB announced its selected speakers for their July 18-19 and 24 so-called "public hearings." [Announcement] The IRB will be holding these "public" hearings at downtown Chicago offices with 22 speakers who will come into the spotlight and address preplanned subjects without addressing the issues of the people who support the sport, as well as technological, medical-pharmaceutical and competitive variables, which are truly killing an industry honored, loved and supported by tens of thousands of people throughout our state. Highly respected and long-time Commissioner John Simon, a prosecuting attorney, will be overseeing and thus "grilling" these 22 speakers, when he should instead be focusing on the root of the problem by investigating and cleaning house over at the IRB offices on the seventh floor of the state of Illinois building.

It's time to let the people who feel the need to juice their horses be prosecuted for their actions by cleaning ALL of the garbage left under the rug all these years, as well as all of the political appointees, rather employees, be held accountable for their shortcomings over the years.

At the most recent IRB meeting this past Tuesday, July 11, the chairman of the IRB as well as two commissioners weren't present to address the media. Were they all on the golf course or something? They should just stay home in the future if they are afraid to "show face" in the public spotlight.

Too many people across our state have left the business that have been involved in our sport for generations past, as well as those who've lost hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to compete and thus remain competitive with the chemical trainers of today.

Numerous people within and outside the industry were denied to speak at these "public hearings," based on either the IRB's excuse for time allocated (they're estimating each hearing day to run five-six hours) or due to other unknown political reasons they don't want the public to be exposed to….

We all need to work together to preserve what's left of the heritage, tradition and history of what's left of Illinois racing and clean house NOW.

Eric M. Poders
Publisher, The Horseman's Voice
Evanston

(Posted July 14, 2006)

Related article

• Illinois Racing Board hearings set for next week

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