The president of horse racing's umbrella regulatory group said April 8 the sport's tendency for self-flagellation and participants' refusal to take responsibility for their actions—or lack of action—is a major threat to the industry's future.

Ed Martin, president of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI), gave the keynote address on the second day of the organization's three-day conference in Lexington, Ky.

Martin, who raised his voice on several occasions for emphasis, again offered statistics that indicate horse racing compares favorably with other major sports in terms of the percentage of clean drug tests even though it tests far more samples each year. He also touched on the investigations that resulted after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) made allegations of horse abuse and mistreatment in the barn of Steve Asmussen based upon secretly taken video.

"We stand here today as regulators trying to police a sport, portions of which seem mired in a culture of negativity," Martin said. "They never talk about what's right with this sport. If you consistently talk about the negative, you will chase people away from a wonderful sport