The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission reported May 11 that testing associated with this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) has been completed and there were no medication violations.
According to a news release from the regulatory body, tests were conducted by the University of Florida Racing Laboratory on the first four finishers in each race. The samples were tested to Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association North American Graded Stakes Committee specifications, commonly referred to as a ‘super-test.'
The contract between the KHRC and the University of Florida Racing laboratory requires super-testing to be performed on all Kentucky post-race samples and is not limited to graded stakes participants, according to the release.
KHRC also reported the contents of syringes used to administer approved race day anti-bleeder medications were also analyzed and determined to be free of violations. All Derby and Oaks horses were sampled and tested for TCO2; all test results were within normal physiologic limits.
Since the 2008 Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, the KHRC has instituted a number of safety initiatives that ban the use of anabolic steroids, toe grabs and the type of riding crops allowed.
“I am very pleased by the results which give a clear indication that Kentucky’s intensified efforts to make certain those associated with thoroughbred racing are doing the right things is having an impact,” said Lisa Underwood, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.