Horse Racing Needs Its Own Floyd Landis

Who'da thunk it?

Bad Boy Floyd a role model?

That's what Washington Post horse racing columnist Andrew Beyer is thinking: Can't horse racing follow cycling's lead?

"Both are plagued by the use of performance-enhancing drugs," he writes. "Both are being spoiled by public cynicism; fans suspect that any brilliant or extraordinary achievement might be the result of cheating. … These happen to be the two sports that I love the most. I watched the Tour every day for three weeks and cheered for Landis; I felt betrayed when he was exposed as a cheat who, according to test results, had won with an illegal boost of testosterone. Despite the fact that professional cycling is tarnished by scandal, I believe that the thoroughbred industry should emulate the way cycling has confronted the drug issue. The International Cycling Union (UCI), the sport's governing body, is making a serious effort to confront illegal drug use and punish cheaters. Horse racing tends to sweep its problems under the rug.

"What horse racing needs, in short, is its own Floyd Landis."