Don't condemn O'Brien for running Mendelssohn on Lasix in Kentucky
As the clock ticks towards midnight on Saturday, Mendelssohn will vie to boldly triumph where no European-based horse has triumphed before when he contests the 144th Kentucky Derby.
The Americans know how to trumpet the marquee events and there is none bigger than the Run for the Roses. Around 170,000 race-goers will throng Churchill Downs for the first Triple Crown race, with the fanfare, pageantry and star-spangled razzmatazz an all-American sporting celebration to rival the extravagance of the Super Bowl.
US Dirt racing leaves many traditionalists cold, and dubious anti-doping policies serve to exacerbate that indifference. Mendelssohn will race on Lasix and that will offend plenty.
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