Breeders' Cup to ban raceday medication in juvenile races
By Matt Hegarty
All horses who are entered in the five Breeders' Cup races for juveniles in 2012 will be prohibited from using the diuretic Lasix on race day to treat bleeding in the lungs under a policy adopted by the Breeders' Cup on Thursday that will lead to the ban of all raceday drugs at the organization's year-end event by 2013, the organization said.
The partial ban in 2012 is the strongest measure to be taken by any organization in North American racing since efforts began earlier this year to roll back the use of raceday drugs in U.S. racing. The rollback has been strongly supported by the Breeders' Cup and other influential industry organizations, including the Jockey Club and the Association of Racing Commissioners International, but horsemen in the United States have resisted.
In a release, the Breeders' Cup said the ban on raceday drugs in 2012 for the juvenile races was the first step in "the implementation of a new policy for all [Breeders' Cup] races in the 2013 event and subsequent events." The Breeders' Cup currently consists of 15 races run over two days with purses totaling $26 million.