Illinois Racing Board Amends Rules on Cocaine

The Illinois Racing Board Thursday moved to relax rules governing trace amounts of cocaine found in horses after racing.

The board acted on testimony that testing has become so sophisticated that can pick up traces of cocaine even if a horse has come into casual contact with the substance. Under old rules, a positive test for any amount of the drug resulted in disqualification and forfeiture of purse money.

The new rules provide for a fine for a trace amount cocaine positive and will require trainers to examine their barn areas to determine possible sources of contamination. But they will not require disqualification unless the amount detected is sufficient to affect the horse's performance.