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Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
This is a myth. If it were so then wouldn't it be fairly easy to catch guys giving these drugs? The detention barns really dont stop anything that is useful anyway. Vets just give the stuff that they would give with Lasix a little earlier and most of it is questionable in its effectivness anyway. The drugs of choice now are either given on a daily basis or are simply modified existing drugs that there are no tests for. The most effective drug of the last 20 years, EPO, is still being used in a modified form without markers. You dont need to give that anywhere near raceday.
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With the life of a red blood cell being 90 days, EPO has to be given quite some time prior to race day to be of any use. Lasix or furosemide would need to be given inside that 6 hour window to increase pulmonary capacitance. I suppose some minimal effect is gained 7 hours prior but it certainly is not being used at maximal efficacy. However Epogen is being altered is almost irrelevant when you give it literally a month or two prior to race day to stimulate red cell mass, by the time they test for it after a race it's months since the horse has seen the drug