Kentucky Horse Racing Commission poised to phase out Lasix in Stakes races

A racehorse steps onto the track for training. Image by Clarence Alford.

MATT HEGARTY writing for the Daily Racing Form reports:

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Wednesday is expected to approve a regulation that would phase out the raceday use of the anti-bleeding medication furosemide before stakes races beginning in 2013.

If approved, horses in the 2014 Kentucky Derby would be prohibited from receiving an injection of the drug for the first time since the mid-1970s, when the drug was first legalized for raceday administrations in Kentucky.

The phase-out would begin with stakes races for 2-year-olds in 2013, be expanded to all stakes races in which 3-year-olds are eligible in 2014, and apply to all stakes races in 2015. Continue reading >>

FROM THE EDITOR

Hooray! It is a start. A long-awaited start but a start all the same. Fingers and everything else limber enough to cross are crossed.