{Washington, D.C.}...At a Senate hearing Thursday, Barry Irwin, whose Team Valor ownership group won last year's Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, called on Congress to pass legislation to rid horse racing of drug use. Irwin said the sport needs federal oversight to ban doping because states don't do a good enough job policing the sport. Kent Stirling of the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, which represents thoroughbred horse owners and trainers, says the federal government has no experience or expertise to regulate the sport. Senator Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat who is chairing the hearing, has proposed legislation to ban race-day medication in horse racing.
