Eaton Will Post Medication Lists at Barns

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Eaton Sales, one of the industry's biggest consignors, plans to disclose the medications it gives to its sale horses.

Beginning with the Keeneland July yearling auction, Eaton will post medication lists at its barns, said Reiley McDonald, a co-owner of the company. The lists will contain information about any treatments the horses receive while stabled on the sale grounds.

Eaton conducts the bulk of its business at yearling and breeding stock auctions in Kentucky, and at the Saratoga yearling sale in New York. Consignors at those auctions are not required to report the medications they use, but Eaton decided to make the treatments public for a couple of reasons.

"We believe sellers should provide honest and accurate information to buyers," McDonald said. "It's not that much of a change for us because we've always told buyers about medications when they ask."

Another factor in the decision was the growing concern about medication in the auction community. All companies that conduct major juvenile sales in Florida and California strengthened their drug-monitoring programs this year, and Keeneland announced plans to test horses entered in its April sale of 2-year-olds in training for the first time.

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