New York horsemen present Medication Reform Policy

Cross-posted from the Blood-Horse

WRITTEN BY BLOOD-HORSE STAFF

Thoroughbred Horse

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association April 13 announced a plan to reform medication policies in Thoroughbred racing. The five-point proposal, first presented last year, is designed to address many of the issues that have recently brought criticism to the sport.

“While we are hoping for industry-wide support for our proposal, our first obligation is to New York, and we believe the initiative should start here,” said NYTHA President Rick Violette Jr. “These exact points were presented to several industry organizations and leaders last year, only to fall on mostly deaf ears. This is the time to get on the bus, or move out of the way.”

New York is currently in compliance with one of the five points; the goal is that the plan will become a blueprint for medication policies in racing jurisdictions nationwide.

The five points of the plan are:

1) A threshold of 2mcg of Bute (phenylbutazone) in post-race testing for all runners, not just graded stakes horses. Currently, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board rule mandates a 48-hour withdrawal for Bute for all horses.

2) No adjunct raceday medication allowed. Adjunct medications are used in some jurisdictions to prevent Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage. They are not allowed in New York.

3) A 15-day withdrawal for Depo-Medrol (methylprednisolone acetate), and a four-day withdrawal for other corticosteroids.

4) A seven-day withdrawal for clenbuterol. The current withdrawal period in New York is four days.

5) Third-party administrators for race day Lasix, also [k]nown as Salix. Lasix will be administered by veterinarians hired by either the racetrack or the state. That is the current NYRA policy, but would become a state regulation.

Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/68917/ny-horsemen-present-medication-reform-policy#ixzz1rxqNHEYh

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo makes inquiry into racehorse deaths at Aqueduct

In a letter to the New York Racing Association, New York governor Andrew Cuomo calls for the organization to hire an independent investigator to look into the deaths of 16 horses [UPDATE: The number has risen to 20] since racing began on the inner-dirt track November 30th of last year. The number includes a horse who was euthanized Wednesday after injuring her right front leg.

JERRY BOSSERT, reporting for the New York Daily News writes:

“The State and NYRA need to develop best in class procedures to insure against needless injuries to horses and to riders,” read a letter Cuomo sent to NYRA President Charles Hayward Wednesday. “By this letter, we are advising NYRA to hire a qualified independent investigator or team of investigators to review the circumstances involving these breakdowns, analyze the causes, and recommend any necessary action to (limit) equine breakdowns at NYRA faciliites.”

The letter advised that NYRA should assume the costs of the investigation.

While NYRA claims the inner-dirt track is safe, they are moving racing to the main track on March 21, two weeks earlier than scheduled, a move that didn’t come in time for Hillsboro Bay, who was taken off the inner-dirt track after Wednesday’s finale in the equine ambulance after injuring her right front leg. She was later euthanized.

“This pattern of equine loss should not be allowed to continue,” Cuomo’s letter said.

Cuomo’s letter acknowledged the inherent risks in racing, but said those risks should not be an “excuse for our inaction.”

NYRA responded to Cuomo’s letter by telling the Daily News that it “will cooperate with the requests made in the letter, and make a recommendation to the Racing and Wagering Board regarding selection of an investigator.” Read more >>

Well done Governor Cuomo, for calling for an outside investigation. That means we have at least some hope that we will not be fobbed off with unintelligible statistics taken from information volunteered for a database that typically comes out of horse racing.

The NYRA have taken admirable actions in the past to protect Thoroughbred racehorses. How disappointed we are that the Governor of the State had to call on the NYRA in this way because of the alarming number of fatalities.

NYRA to administer Lasix to horses on race day

I am not sure what to make of this. Perhaps you can enlighten me.

The Associated Press reports:

NEW YORK — New York Racing Association veterinarians will begin administering Lasix to horses on race day starting Jan. 26.

Lasix is a diuretic used to treat pulmonary hemorrhaging in racehorses.

NYRA President Charles Hayward says Thursday the measure will eliminate the need for private vets to enter horses’ stalls on race day. He calls it an “important integrity measure.”

Last year, NYRA expanded its in-house drug testing program to detect illegal performance-enhancing substances. The association also ended operation of its security barn, allowing horses to be examined on race day in their own stalls.

Is the NYRA saying it does not trust a racehorse’s veterinarian to administer drugs? What about the trainers?

AP report via The Wall Street Journal >>