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RMTC Board Recommends Drug Withdrawal Times

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium board of directors adopted recommendations for thresholds and withdrawal times for four therapeutic medications at its March 19 meeting in Baltimore.

Regulators Discuss Jockey Club Drug Rules

Regulators from 24 North American racing jurisdictions met via conference call March 4 to discuss new model medication rules set to be adopted by Racing Commissioners International.

RMTC Calls Nikethamide 'Very Dangerous Drug'

While a recent positive for Nikethamide is the first in more than a decade in U.S. racing, the dangerous nature of the Class I drug has the attention of regulators.

RMTC Sees Positive Trends in Bute Study

RMTC Executive Director Dr. Dionne Benson believes data clearly demonstrates the two microgram limit is a workable threshold for horsemen.

RMTC Makes Corticosteroid Recommendations

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has approved minimum withdrawal time recommendations for corticosteroids based on recently completed work partially funded by RMTC.

Writing Award Prize Benefits RMTC

The $25,000 prize intended for three New York Times writers will instead benefit drug testing programs. The newspaper's editorial ethics policy prohibits the writers from accepting the award.

RMTC Approves Thresholds, Withdrawal Times

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium board of directors has approved thresholds and withdrawal guidelines for six medications that have been identified as having therapeutic purposes.

More Groups Urge KY to Enact Drug Regulations

Two more national organizations have called on Kentucky to move forward with medication reform regulations shot down by a legislative committee Aug. 27.

Benson Hired As RMTC Executive Director

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has hired Dr. Dionne Benson as executive director and chief operating officer.

Jockey's Guild States Safety Policies

The board of directors of the Jockeys' Guild has voted to adopt 10 policy statements concerning race day medications and safety concerns.

RMTC Board Names Interim Director

At its April 23 meeting the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium board of directors approved an agreement with The Jockey Club to engage the full-time services of Jamie Haydon as RMTC interim executive director.

Waterman Named Arizona Racing Adviser

Dr. Scot Waterman, most recently executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, has been hired as the first animal medication and welfare adviser for the Arizona Department of Racing.

No Salix in Graded Stakes for 2YOs in 2012

The American Graded Stakes Committee said Aug. 10 it will employ a pilot program that will ban race-day medications -- primarily the anti-bleeding drug Salix -- in graded 2-year-old stakes in 2012.

RMTC: Tighten Salix Rules, Ban Adjunct Drugs

An industry consortium supports administration of Salix by regulatory veterinarians only and a ban on adjunct bleeder drugs, but will continue to study a pilot program proposal to ban the use of race-day Salix in 2-year-olds.

Rip Off the Medication Band-Aid

Let's put all U.S. racing on par with the rest of the world.

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Medication Summit Called 'New Beginning'

A baby step toward progress was how organizers described the two-day International Race Day Medication Summit held June 13-14 at Belmont Park.

The Battle of Salix - By Eric Mitchell

The medication summit will shed plenty of light on how the U.S. can 
improve its policies.

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Race-Day Medication Summit at Belmont Park

The first international summit on race-day medication as it relates to exercise-induced pulmonary hemorhaging will be June 13-14 at Belmont Park.

Drug Summit Set for June 13-14 in New York

The first 'International Summit on Race Day Medication, EIPH and the Racehorse' has been scheduled for June 13-14 in New York City.

Officials Confirm International Drug Summit

As expected the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium board of directors said April 20 it will join the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and American Association of Equine Practitioners in organizing a drug summit.

International Drug Summit Said to Be Planned

Industry organizations including the National Thoroughbred Racing Association will propose an international summit on equine medication this year in the wake of calls for the race-day ban of anti-bleeding drugs.

TRA Supports Concept of Medication Ban

The racetrack association supports a realistic and practical approach to a proposal to ban all race-day medication in racehorses within five years.

Sources: Waterman Leaving Post at RMTC

Dr. Scot Waterman, executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium for almost 10 years, is leaving the post at the end of April, according to multiple industry sources.

RCI: Phase Out Use of Drugs in Five Years

In an announcement that could meet with disagreement with some horsemen's groups and perhaps others, the Association of Racing Commissioners International has called for a five-year phase-out of equine medication in racing.

'McKinsey' Drug Report Revisited by Horsemen

As McKinsey & Company prepares for The Jockey Club a broad report on Thoroughbred racing, a horsemen's group has reviewed a medication study the company authored 20 years ago.

Officials Cite Progress Made in Drug Testing

Laboratories that test samples for the presence of drugs in California, Delaware, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and other states have signed letters of intent to submit to accreditation.

RMTC Approves Fellowship Program Funding

Money will go to Dr. Heather DiMaio Knych and Dr. Mary Robinson for post-doctoral research.

Racing Industry Gets Congressional Inquiry

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall and U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield requested detailed answers on the progress of drug testing and monitoring and racetrack safety from industry leaders.

RMTC Acts to Reduce Potential Impact of Bute

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has lowered the testing threshold level for phenylbutazone, a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, but has kept the administration time at 24 hours prior to a race.

RMTC Seeks Director of Research

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium is currently seeking applications for the position of director of research.

Drug Testing Task Force to Be Formed

Moving forward with its initiative to significantly change the structure of drug testing in U.S. horse racing, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) board of directors has approved the formation of a committee to oversee the implementation of the Drug Testing Initiative (DTI) Task Force recommendations on quality assurance and laboratory accreditation programs for U.S. horse racing drug testing laboratories.

Possible Change in Drug Rules Questioned

The Association of Racing Commissioners International is looking at extending the cutoff time for use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in racehorses beyond 24 hours prior to a race, but horsemen's groups claim the action is premature.

RMTC Board Approves New Testing Standards

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium board of directors has approved new national laboratory standards for testing, the implementation of a laboratory accreditation program and a new independent Equine Quality Assurance Program.

Horsemen, Chemist: Drug Problem Exaggerated

The National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association said July 1 it plans to be more involved as the racing industry considers medication and drug-testing policies horsemen believe could be detrimental and counterproductive.

Changes Ahead for Drug-Testing Protocol

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium is developing protocol designed to streamline and improve equine drug-testing in the United States. And it is taking a few pages from a 1991 study that didn't gain any traction in the racing industry when it was released.

Test for Steroids Shows 'Filly' a Male

Year-and-a-half-old testing for anabolic steroids in racehorses produced some unusual results -- including the discovery of a Standardbred filly that's actually a male.

New Targets for Medication Regulation

Though most racing jurisdictions in North America have greatly curtailed the use of race-day medication, two drugs commonly used in racehorses are getting a hard look from industry officials.

Protocol for Steroids Testing Progresses

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium board of directors Feb. 6 received an update on an anabolic steroids study, results of which will be used to set thresholds for testing in plasma.

Frozen-Sample Drug Tests Get Funding

The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Safety Committee said Feb. 11 it will fund a Racing Medication and Testing Consortium frozen-sample and retrospective testing program that will begin in April.

Corticosteroids Next on RMTC Hit List

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium recently prepared a list of 2009-10 goals, one of which is tackling use of corticosteroids in racehorses.

Louisiana Latest to Adopt Steroids Rule

Using emergency regulations, the Louisiana Racing Commission has banned the use of anabolic steroids in racehorses effective Jan. 1, 2009.

RMTC Has Plan for Drug-Testing Standards

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium is developing a five-prong plan to implement equine drug-testing standards similar to those used by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

KY Steroid Ban: 'Toughest in Country'

The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council has adopted a recommended ban on anabolic steroids that is classified as the "toughest in the country" by the panel's chairman.

KY Officials Vow to Regulate Steroids

Kentucky racing officials said they intend on having regulations for use of anabolic steroids in racehorses in place as quickly as possible, but discussion and research are still needed.

Steroids Rule Moves Ahead in New York

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board on May 29 passed proposed restrictions on use of anabolic steroids in racehorses for Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing.

CHRB: Trainers Should Stop Steroids Now

If your horse is being treated with anabolic steroids and you plan to race in California, the time to stop administering them is now. That's the word from Richard Shapiro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, and Dr. Rick Arthur, the agency's equine medical director.

RMTC Strives for Uniform Drug Testing

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium sponsored an equine racing chemist workshop to foster uniformity in drug testing of the androgenic anabolic steroids from April 27-30 at the University of California at Davis.

CHRB Issues Steroid Advisory

The California Horse Racing Board has issued an advisory to explain the changing regulatory scheme of anabolic steroids.

RMTC Board Recommends Steroid Policy

The board of directors of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), in consultation with the RMTC Scientific Advisory Committee, approved policy recommendations for the use of steroids. The action took place at an RMTC board meeting March 25 Austin, Texas.

Commentary: Detox

By Dan Liebman - Imagine using something in your profession for 25 years because you believe it to be beneficial, and then having regulators take it away from you.