Horseracing

Bad vet slips horses a mickey

Ah, the grand “sport” of horse racing. Who among us doesn’t enjoy the spectacle, the majesty, and of course the shady dealings and underhanded tricks to throw the races?

In Grand Island, Nebraska, the state veterinary board has accused vet Jay Stewart of administering shots of alcohol to several horses during the 2005 racing season, and he has been brought up on four counts of tampering with horses. Stewart allegedly gave several horses intravenous shots of vodka to calm the animals before their race. He charged $15 per shot for the service, which on the one hand seems like a damn expensive shot of vodka, but on the other hand, considering he must have know it could cost him his veterinary license, seems a little on the cheap side.

I realize that everyone involved in horse racing wants to make sure everything is above board so the gamblers don’t cry foul, but think of all the other sports we gamble on where alcohol could be a factor. We’ve all heard stories about baseball players getting drunk before games, and if I were a football player I’d need a nip of liquid courage to go out on the field. (Come to think about it, isn’t Rex Grossman usually hammered on game days?) Steroids and point shaving is one thing, but a little booze never hurt anyone.

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