In 2021, horse racing's most recognizable face - Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert - had five horses that failed postrace drug tests, including that year's Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit. While the incident was a major scandal in the thoroughbred racing world, it was only the latest in a long string of drug-related infractions among high-caliber athletes. Stories about systemic rule-breaking and 'doping culture' - both human and equine - have put world-class athletes and their trainers under intense scrutiny. Each newly discovered instance of abuse forces fans to question the participants' integrity, and in the case of horse racing, their humanity. In 'Unnatural Ability', Milton C. Toby addresses the historical and contemporary context of the thoroughbred industry's most pressing issue.

Medication and performance-enhancing drugs in horse racing : hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, second session, July 12, 2012.