In February, the state Equine Drug Research Council adopted an attachment to the new penalties that include withdrawal times for about 50 therapeutic drugs and threshold levels for nine such drugs.
Penalties for the violation of Kentucky's new medication guidelines were approved March 13 by the joint Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee. The penalties now face review and approval of one additional committee before taking effect.The authority's proposed penalties stalled during a February subcommittee meeting and the state's older penalties for medication violations went into effect.The new drug and penalty rules were developed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority after consultation with the state's Equine Drug Research Council, an advisory body to the KHRA, for certain portions of the rules. The penalty regulations reviewed by the joint subcommittee provides direction to state racing stewards and the KHRA for the imposition of fines and penalties for violation of regulations pertaining to the new medication rules."The new rules will enable the racing industry to regulate itself more effectively," said Lisa Underwood, general counsel for the KHRA. "They also will enhance the image of horse racing and its integrity in the eyes of the public." Under Kentucky's medication regulation, only the anti-bleeder drug Salix and two of four adjunct bleeder medications can be administered up to four hours prior to a race. One of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications can be administered up to 24 hours before a race.