NM House approves drug-testing expansion for racehorses

The state House of Representatives voted 64-0 Monday for a bill to increase drug-testing of racehorses at New Mexico tracks. Another $700,000 a year would be budgeted for testing. The state Racing Commission says it be money well spent to improve honesty in a high-profile industry. Most of New Mexico's five tracks came under heavy criticism last year in a New York Times exposé about safety problems and illegal drugs in the horse-racing industry. Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell, sponsor of the testing bill, said the state need not receive such national attention again. Ezzell, R-Roswell, said more testing would help clean up the horseracing industry. Money allocated for the program would go for pre- and post-race testing, out-of-competition testing and necropsies of fallen horses. The Racing Commission itself pushed for the bill...more