Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. apparently will not be part of Thursday’s House subcommittee hearing on the safety of Thoroughbred racing, citing an illness.

Dutrow told the Associated Press he has been sick with a virus for several days and did not feel well enough to travel from Long Island to Washington D.C.

“I would go in a minute, but I just don’t feel well,” Dutrow said on Wednesday. “To go down there when I’m not on top of my game would not be right.”

Dutrow was scheduled to be part of the hearing’s first panel that will include testimony from Jockey Club President Alan Marzelli, California Horse Racing Board Chairman Richard Shapiro, Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg, ESPN analyst Randy Moss, and prominent owners and breeders Arthur Hancock and Jess Jackson.

Veterinarians Lawrence Soma, Susan Stover, Wayne McIlwraith, and Mary Scollay are all scheduled for the second panel, along with CANTER Executive Director Allie Conrad, and National Thoroughbred Racing Association President Alex Waldrop.

The Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT. The webcast is available by clicking here.