WASHINGTON — Last month, when American Pharoah, the colt with a thunderous gallop, became the first Triple Crown winner in nearly four decades, he couldn’t have had better timing.
His victory ignited a surge in popularity for the sport, which for years has been on the decline. It also put the horse racing industry in the spotlight just as it is trying, yet again, to change its antidoping and medication rules, which are different in each of the 38 racing jurisdictions in the United States and in some ways give cheaters yawning loopholes to step through.