KOLD News 13 live, local and late breaking-Drug Testing Scrubs Racing at Tucson Greyhound Park

Drug Testing Scrubs Racing at Tucson Greyhound Park

By J.D. Wallace, KOLD News 13 Reporter

There were no dogs running at Tucson Greyhound Park on Wednesday night.  Three trainers tested positive for drugs, and a kennel operator refused a drug test on Tuesday night.  As a result, thirty dogs were scratched, and racing was canceled Wednesday night because there weren't enough dogs to race.

"I'm not saying it hasn't gone in a good direction, but I think you can go overboard," said Tucson Greyhound Park CEO Tom Taylor.

Taylor said that he supports drug testing and keeping the industry honest, but he said that the Department of Racing wants to go way beyond the finish line with more drug testing for dogs and more audits of the betting.

"I don't think that's going to have any harm at all, as long as they don't make us pay for it," Taylor said.

"The industry should start supporting the regulation," said Geoffrey Gonsher, director of the Arizona Department of Racing.

The Department of Racing gets almost three million dollars for its enforcement budget from the Legislature.  Its director, Geoffrey Gonsher, wants dog and horse racing to pick up the tab, and bring the system up to national standards.  He said that Wednesday night's closure showed that recent improvements are working.  Taylor agrees, but hopes that new efforts aren't excessive and expensive.

"And so, I think right now we need to settle back and let the industry regulate itself a little bit," Taylor said.

"That would be nice if they did, but historically they never have," Gonsher said.

Taylor said that racing should resume at Tucson Greyhound Park on Thursday.