F/T Sales and steroid tests

[spex4me]

http://news.bloodhorse.com//viewstory.asp?id=46167

I wonder if they will post the results...... only 22 seems low to me when we are talking about these "future" investments.

[LB]

I wonder if they will post the results...... only 22 seems low to me when we are talking about these "future" investments.

As Samantha Siegel said in the article, it is generally not too hard to tell whether yearlings have had steroids or not. I imagine that many of the people who didn't test didn't do so because they already knew the answer.

[walaa]

is it , how can you tell?? I am going to some of the sales later this year and am wondering, because I will be in the VERY low end of buyers and cannot afford the tests. I do know the horses I will buy wont be on the them, because of the low end, and maybe a mare in foal or 2. I saw many SMALL yearlings go for alot of money at this sale, although, again, VERY muscly. (sp?) I also saw very large to huge yearlings, esp. fillies. Then you look at the pic of the high selling yearling at the Japan sale, what a difference!! That looks like a racehorse. Yes he looks big, but lean, mean, mane all askew, slightly ribby, but just an awesome looing horse, in my opinion. All the yearlings here at the high dollar sales look like potted plants. There is nothing wrong with taking top notch care of your yearlings for selling, but does anyone see the difference I am talking about in these photos of other countries yearlings and ours? Thats is why I am wondering, if all the yearlings look like the ones I watched, on line, not live, how do you tell which ones are on steroids, compared to ones that are just stall kept and fed extra 8 weeks before a sale?? I know sone sales I might attend due to finances, the horses are not going to look like the ones at the select sales, so any advice for this fall will be appreciated.

[spex4me]

I would say even if I paid 5k or 50k for a yearling , I'd test it. Just for peace of mind. I do wish the test were a little more economical. I can't help but think $500.00 is a tad steep for a blood test. But maybe someone in the med profession can speak to that. I hope it isn't the old way around it game. Thinking that charging a nice little piece change will discourage testing and things will continue as normal. To me I would think the organization promoting the sale would include that as a "Thank you for buying with us!".

IMO steroids could be given in different doses to achieve different results, hence why I would test anything I put down good money on.

Interesting observation on the Japan sale.....

[Laurierace]

In my opinion, until the sales company starts requiring testing in order for the horse to go through the ring, it is meaningless. It may deter a few people but not most of them who will consider the small risk that their horse will be one of the ones tested worth taking a chance upon. Worst case scenario, the horse is returned and they get to do it all over again in a different sale. Big deal!
Maybe they should make testing for steroids after winning a race optional too, that would make about as much sense.

[Sysonby]

If the horse is muscled up, calling to other horses and trying to mount the handler, that's usually a good sign of steroid use (especially if the horse is a filly).

In the end, the buyers are in charge here and especially in this market. If the buyers would just stop buying obviously 'roided up horses, the market would dry up for them, testing or no testing.

[spex4me]

Well I actually heard an intriguing possibility this evening. Steroids (well drugs in general) still being used to fluff up these yearlings but cutting them off the closer a sale comes. This could be mad speculation but in a way it did make sense to me. You still would probably end up with a yearling that would retain more 'look' to him even if you did completely stop prior to a sale than if you had never begun in the first place.

But I repeat this as food for thought as someone who was a fly on the wall in a very rounded discussion. Still I'd test for everything. I guess that is why I like private sales better. I can eyeball my prey a little better!

[LB]

And the result was: zero positives.

http://auctions.bloodhorse.com/article/46211.htm

[madelyn]

Sometimes you can spot the 'roided horses - if there is bulky muscling on top of spindly legs with no topline. Attitude, also, can be an indicator.

[spex4me]

And the result was: zero positives.

http://auctions.bloodhorse.com/article/46211.htm

well that is at least encouraging!

[Mood Swings]

I think this "test" is good start, however I doubt many people will test. I think the $500 they are charging is more of a deterent then anything. I don't think sales companies would be pleased if a large number of sales fall through because of positive tests. How do they keep everyone happy? By starting this "steroid ban" (that is not really a ban outright IMO) and then charging $500 for people to test their horses so that few will actually want to test.

Look at the Bloodhorse article ... 22 horses tested from 305 - that is only 7% of owners that bothered testing their horses. Of those 7%, how many feel that they wasted $500 because they had negative results? Although it reflects well on the industry that there were zero positives, there are no guarantees that these particular horses had not been treated with steroids in the months prior to the sale.

Just my 2 cents

[walaa]

As a newbie to this, Im wondering how they can have all those results from the lab in CAL. back so quick, when results from a race take forever and a day. This sale just ended Tues. and all the results are already back? Is is because of the money?? It took longer than that for Eight Belles results to come back, and there was alot riding on those results for sure. Is 500 alot ?? I thought it sounded like alot when I read it, and I wondered the same thing, is that to discourage people, although the buyers at this sale probably dont care about another 500, OR do they not care about the steroids, because the horse will be on them at the 2 yr old sale anyways, or they will race them , where steroids are mostly legal anyways?? I am going to the sales this fall for the first time, as I stated earlier, so all advice is appreciated, down to filling out the buyerforms:)

[dray33]

I bought 6 horses, and tested 2 of them.

[BenB]

If I would buy another TB again I would not only tested them for steroids etc But got a complete X ray set as well.
The total cost are about the same as a month training fees so in the long run it saves money.
Walaa If you can,t pay the test you should not buy a tb ever in your life

[walaa]

too late guy, I already have some.