Juvenile Racing in 2020 Begins Sans Lasix

A new season of 2-year-old racing that begins with a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race April 16 at Gulfstream Park also marks a new era in medication, one without the race day treatment of furosemide, known commonly as Lasix.

The diuretic, banned across much of the world but in wide use in North America to control exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, begins a phase-out this year in races for 2-year-olds at a coalition of tracks, including Gulfstream Park, before extending next year to stakes races for all ages, including the Triple Crown. Under the new program, 2-year-olds cannot be treated with Lasix within 24 hours of a race.

Besides Gulfstream Park, some of the many tracks that have agreed to the Lasix phase-out include Del Mar, Keeneland, and all tracks owned or operated by Churchill Downs Inc., the New York Racing Association, and The Stronach Group, which includes Gulfstream. The initiative has the backing of many breeders and owners, as well as other industry groups, who have sought to eliminate medication usage, considering race-day drugs detrimental for horse welfare and the sport's optics. Others view Lasix as performance-enhancing by causing weight loss or acting as a mild bronchodilator.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, a large number of trainers and racetrack veterinarians view Lasix as beneficial by controlling bleeding and allowing some horses to compete when they might otherwise be sidelined from respiratory hemorrhaging.

When Lasix is allowed, users of medication are in the overwhelming majority. Besides the 2-year-old race for fillies Thursday, only one out of the 108 other horses in 10 non-juvenile races were entered without Lasix.

The usual connections that are a part of juvenile racing in Florida are participating, either in Thursday's race or a counterpart race for juveniles, one for males April 17. Trainer Wesley Ward, whose stable is geared toward early 2-year-old success, has entrants in both races for different clients, and trainer Juan Alvarado has starters for owner/breeder Arindel, and trainer Ralph Nicks for owner/breeder Jacks or Better Farm.

Fred Brei, who owns Jacks or Better Farm in Reddick, Fla., does not support Lasix elimination for 2-year-olds. This year, like most every other, he has juveniles prepared for summer racing, where he hopes to excel in South Florida's lucrative Florida Sire Stakes.

In 2018, he won the Affirmed Division of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes with the Nicks-trained Garter and Tie at Gulfstream, and a decade ago, the Stanley Gold-trained Awesome Feather rolled through the series for him when it was run at Calder Race Course before she won the 2010 Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs. She was voted the champion 2-year-old filly of that year.

Awesome Feather is a daughter of Awesome of Course, as is Awesome View, the Jacks or Better Farm runner in Thursday's second race. His Friday entrant, First Navy Admiral, is a half sister to Awesome Feather by Fort Loudon, a son of Awesome of Course. 

"I am absolutely negative on no Lasix, but it is what it is," Brei said, pointing to the summer climate in Florida. "We run in (Hallandale). From let's say 30 days from now through October, we're running in probably the harshest environment in the country. Heavy humidity, constant heat."

In addition to the medication overhaul, Brei sees another change this year: an influx of 2-year-olds that otherwise might not be running on the circuit, partially caused by other tracks canceling or delaying their spring meets as a result of COVID-19. Racing continues at Gulfstream without spectators.

"Usually Keeneland is going on, and those horses are up there, running up there, and now we have them in South Florida," he said.

Two such horses are trainees from Ward, whose customary spring focus would be the juvenile races typically carded at Keeneland in Kentucky. Lime, a 2-year-old Iqbaal filly he trains for Mrs. Fitriani Hay, and Golden Pal, an Uncle Mo  colt owned by breeder Randall Lowe of Ranlo Investments, both breezed in March in Kentucky at Turfway Park before Keeneland canceled its spring meet due to COVID-19.

Having run horses overseas, in Britain during Royal Ascot and elsewhere at other times of the year, Ward is experienced running horses without Lasix, saying, "I'm fine with it."

Among his numerous overseas achievements, the Ward-trained Lady Aurelia won a Cartier Award as champion 2-year-old filly of 2016 during a year in which she won the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) and the Darley Prix Morny (G1) for owners Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton, and Peter Leidel. Those stakes victories from the daughter of Scat Daddy came without Lasix, though she raced with the medication when she started in America, which included a debut 7 1/2-length win at Keeneland in April of her juvenile year.

He believes horses are debuted with Lasix partially as a precautionary measure.

"Once you start bleeding, it is certainly harder to stop," he said.

Ward, who has more than 50 2-year-olds, scopes all of them after breezes. He said he chose to freshen one horse this spring after it bled following a workout, leaving him to wonder about the future for regular bleeders.

"It might eliminate a certain percentage of the (race-ready) horses if you can't manage the bleeding," he said.

Regardless of this year's medication changes, Ward likes what he sees from Lime and Golden Pal.

"Both horses are very talented—fast, big," he said.

Ward bred Lime out of the Game Plan mare Home Alona, who he raced for a period with actor Joe Pesci. The name Lime refers to Pesci's character Harry Lime in the movie "Home Alone."

Ward broke Golden Pal as a yearling. The colt failed to meet his reserve when bidding stalled at $325,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. 

He is the first foal from the Midshipman  mare Lady Shipman, who won 11 stakes for Lowe and was second in the 2015 TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland. She was trained through 2015 by Kathleen O'Connell and later by Kiaran McLaughlin.