Keeneland has issued the parameters and penalties for pre-race "milkshake" tests it plans to implement during its April 8-29 spring meet.
Monday, March 21, 2005Jennifer Pedersen, one of the top female trainers in the country, has been suspended for 60 days by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, according to a ruling released March 4. Meanwhile, owner Ernie Paragallo, for whom Pedersen trains, claims his barn is being targeted by investigators.
Friday, March 04, 2005The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission has approved model uniform medication rules as recommended by regulators in the Mid-Atlantic region and hopes to have blood-gas testing for "milkshakes" in place by the time Delaware Park opens April 30 for its 135-day meet.
Friday, March 04, 2005The American Association of Equine Practitioners, in an effort to educate members, has issued guidelines for the responsible use of compounded medications by veterinarians.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005By Gary Biszantz - As chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association I feel an obligation to encourage all horsemen to unite and support uniform medication rules for the United States.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005Despite a final plea by a group of local horsemen, the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority unanimously moved Feb. 22 to adopt the model race-day medication rules proposed by the national Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005The New York Racing Association will begin pre-race and post-race testing for "milkshakes" Feb. 16 at Aqueduct. Both forms of testing will be performed in an effort to collect data to determine the best method.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council set in motion major changes in the state's medication and drug-testing policies when it voted Feb. 4 to recommend adoption of the model rules devised by the national Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.
Friday, February 04, 2005Two horses who ran at Saratoga last summer were disqualified from their finishing positions because of positive drug tests, but Mark Shuman, who trained both horses for owner Michael Gill, will not be disciplined in the incident.
Friday, February 04, 2005Kentucky racetracks could begin testing for "milkshakes" this spring under their own guidelines, officials said.
Friday, February 04, 2005The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has set a deadline for adoption of recommended uniform medication violations and testing protocol for "milkshakes," which are mixtures of bicarbonate of soda and a liquid force-fed to a racehorse before it competes.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005The Ohio State Racing Commission tightened its medication rules Jan. 20 to greatly reflect the model rules offered by the national Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. In another change, money will be deducted from each purse to defray all or part of the cost to test blood and urine samples.
Friday, January 21, 2005Regulators in the Mid-Atlantic region, who have been working together for years on uniform medication rules, agreed Jan. 20 to endorse the model medication and drug testing policy devised by the national Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.
Friday, January 21, 2005By Ray Paulick -- Getting caught is no picnic, but occasional fines, suspensions, and hefty legal bills are included in the price some horsemen have been willing to pay to live on, or over, the edge of the game's rules and regulations.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association medication committee, in response to concerns from affiliates in Kentucky and Ohio, has asked its affiliates to make known their position on the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium's proposal for uniform medication and drug testing.
Sunday, January 16, 2005The debate over equine medication and drug testing in Kentucky may be colored by very important questions: Is the medication policy currently in place in the Bluegrass state legitimate, and are all racing jurisdictions on the same page when it comes to national uniformity?
Friday, January 14, 2005The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council, which met Dec. 21 for the first time since the fall of 2003, has mostly new members and a new agenda that includes updated and cohesive regulations and perhaps major changes to the state's race-day medication policy for Thoroughbred racing.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004State and federal officials raided the Turf Paradise barn area Dec. 15 and found performance-enhancing substances that may have been used on racehorses.
Friday, December 17, 2004The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council, which hasn't met since the fall of 2003, has been officially reconstituted. The council serves in an advisory capacity to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004Plans for enhanced security, drug testing, and licensing by the Texas Racing Commission have been in the making for more than a year in advance of the Oct. 30 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Lone Star Park. It's the first time Texas has hosted the Cup.
Friday, October 29, 2004The Louisiana State Racing Commission's medication committee has asked the full commission to ban the use and possession of human recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) and darbepoietin, as well as consider measures aimed at random pre-race testing for total dissolved carbon dioxide, more commonly known as "milkshaking."
Friday, October 15, 2004The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council, which hasn't met since last October, is being reconstituted under the administration of Gov. Ernie Fletcher and its new members will be announced soon, according to individuals close to the situation.
Friday, October 08, 2004Jim Gallagher, the new executive director of the Kentucky Racing Authority, said that tailoring state laws to "seamlessly fit with other jurisdictions" should be a goal of state regulators nationwide.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004Michael Gill, the leading Thoroughbred owner in the country in races and money won, said reported positives for a tranquilizer in two of his horses during the Saratoga meet would result in nothing more than damage to his reputation.
Monday, September 13, 2004The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium is recommending owners pay a $5 fee to fund research to develop threshold levels and withdrawal times for therapeutic medications.
Friday, September 10, 2004Dan Fick, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club, was elected chairman of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium at its quarterly meeting Sept. 9. The consortium also approved a per-start fee for horse owners to help fund initiatives.
Friday, September 10, 2004By Dr. Ted Hill - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylbutazone and Banamine, and some prednisone or similar steroid to reduce inflammation in aching joints, tendons, and ligaments, the supporters argued, would simply help horses withstand the rigors of frequent racing.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004The Kentucky Horse Racing Association, at its next meeting Aug. 16, hopes to consider an upgraded drug-testing plan offered by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
Thursday, August 26, 2004The National Horsemen's Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, given the results of a recent study, has suggested research into medication thresholds and withdrawal times be performed using horses in training.
Thursday, August 19, 2004The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission and Delaware Park have decided the drug-testing protocol of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association be adopted voluntarily.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, at its next meeting Aug. 16, hopes to consider an upgraded drug-testing plan offered by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
Monday, July 26, 2004The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association delayed implementation of its drug-testing protocol for graded stakes in the United States because not all jurisdictions were prepared to implement it, the American Graded Stakes Committee said July 14.
Thursday, July 15, 2004Three months after national regulators' associations approved model rules for a proposed national medication policy, the task of lobbying jurisdictions to adopt them continues.
Friday, June 25, 2004The New York State Racing and Wagering Board has disciplined a trainer, assistant trainer, and veterinarian for two tranquilizers found in the system of Vagabond Saint following a second-place finish in the second race at Aqueduct April 14.
Monday, June 21, 2004The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, currently studying its controversial helmet rule for jockeys, indicated May 17 it doesn't expect to have a resolution anytime soon.
Monday, May 17, 2004The Indiana Horse Racing Commission April 21 called for an economic impact study on the impact of having--or not having--Kentucky signals available at the state's racetracks and off-track betting parlors.
Thursday, April 22, 2004The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority is moving forward with renewal of an equine drug-testing contract with Iowa State University pending review of the document by the state Finance Cabinet and assurances test results will be expedited.
Monday, April 19, 2004Model rules for the proposed national medication policy are moving forward, but the unification of the Association of Racing Commissioners International and North American Pari-Mutuel Regulators Association apparently isn't going to happen anytime soon.
Sunday, April 04, 2004Officials gathered in New Orleans for the first Joint Conference of Racing Regulators will consider a proposed national medication policy that calls for voluntary use of Salix on race days and use of one of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs no later than 24 hours before a race.
Thursday, April 01, 2004The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association remains committed to implementing a drug-testing program tied to the American Graded Stakes Committee by July 1, an official said April 1 during the Joint Conference of Racing Regulators in New Orleans.
Thursday, April 01, 2004Delaware, beginning May 11, will join New York and Ontario, Quebec, as jurisdictions with rules to penalize horses that test positive for erythropoietin antibodies.
Thursday, March 25, 2004Random pre-race testing for "milkshakes"--the loading of bicarbonates through a stomach tube to reduce fatigue-causing buildup of lactic acid--began at Santa Anita Park in late February, but the California Horse Racing Board is referring to the program as a survey because no penalties will be applied if a horse tests positive.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004The Arizona Department of Racing approved a pilot program for equine "milkshake" testing and increased the number of ELISA tests to 25 from 15.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is seeking proposals to research the efficacy of adjunct bleeder medications, such as aminocaproic acid and/or conjugated estrogens, as a race day medication for prevention of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH).
Wednesday, March 17, 2004Time and money are two of the major roadblocks as the horse racing industry struggles to come to terms with medication, drug testing, and security, officials said March 4 during the joint annual meeting of Harness Tracks of America and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations.
Thursday, March 04, 2004The Illinois Racing Board has amended its medication rules to drastically increase the penalties for a positive "milkshake" test and also bans any type of hypodermic injection of a horse 24 hours before a scheduled start.
Friday, February 27, 2004The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has adopted a position paper on medication and drug-testing that says any changes in policies in each jurisdiction should be enacted only after there is scientific evidence specific therapeutic drugs shouldn't be used in racehorses.
Wednesday, February 04, 2004The Arkansas Racing Commission began testing for erythropoietin antibodies Sunday as part of a series of changes to the state's medication rules.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has approved policy language on race-day use of Salix and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as environmental contaminants, and also formed a subcommittee to review race-day security practices.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004Though the Kentucky Racing Commission has been abolished and replaced by the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, the Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council apparently remains in place--but not necessarily intact.
Wednesday, January 07, 2004