Kentucky's ongoing attempt to end racing in state proceeds..

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Danzig

there's more to it than just saying ' a first time starter'. they've been in training, maybe there's already been a bleeding episode? or maybe they just don't want to have to have a problem ever show up? if you can prevent bleeding and lung issues before they become an issue, why wouldn't you?
lasix has become the popular target for some reason, and really isn't the issue where drugs are concerned. the issues are with cheaters, some who are caught countless times, suspended countless times, and are still training. that's the issue, not a legal drug that has legitimate reasons for being used. it is absolutely a red herring in the whole discussion of what needs to be done to fix racing. cheating trainers and the owners who hire them are the issue. rather than all this bs posturing over lasix, where are the hearings and rules for many-times over cheaters? where are the moves for expanded testing, more security?

If you have a first-time starter that has already bled during training, that is a different story. You asked, "If you can prevent bleeding and lung issues before they become an issue, why wouldn't you?" I answered that in my last post. The reason I wouldn't want to use lasix for the first couple of races (assuming the horse has never bled in a workout), is because I would want to see how the horse runs without it. As I said, there is the rare horse that runs far worse with lasix. How would I know if my horse is one of those rare horses if I never ran him without lasix?