'Win and You're In' Series Goes Lasix-Free in 2021

Breeders' Cup announced Feb. 10 that races as part of its 2021 "Win and You're In" Challenge Series will be run without the race-day treatment of Lasix, a diuretic whose use is being phased out in leading racing jurisdictions. Challenge race winners receive automatic, paid entry into Breeders' Cup races.

The organization also stated that graded stakes points for the purpose of selection into a Breeders' Cup World Championships race will only be awarded in Lasix-free graded stakes races.

These initiatives are in keeping with Breeders' Cup's efforts to lead by example to move towards elimination of race-day medications and to better align American racing with the rest of the world, the organization said in a release. Breeders' Cup, part of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, welcomes others to join these efforts to bring the United States further in line with international standards. 

Supporters of the continued use of Lasix believe the medication is a low-cost treatment to reduce the equine risk of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, while critics claim it is overused and performance-enhancing.

Last year at some tracks, 2-year-olds raced without Lasix, including on Future Stars Friday at the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. This year no Lasix will be permitted for any race at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar.

The passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which was signed into law late last year, provides a framework that will leave Lasix-free racing as the general standard as of July 1, 2022.

"Even before HISA was signed into law, running the World Championships Lasix-free was a goal of Breeders' Cup," said Drew Fleming, president and CEO of Breeders' Cup. "Extending this standard to all races associated with the Breeders' Cup World Championships will hopefully set an example for other racetracks and stakeholders to embrace forthcoming safety and integrity measures, including the elimination of race-day medication, as a new, safer era for our storied sport approaches." 

Aligning Breeders' Cup's year-round "Win and You're In" program with the World Championships by modifying the field selection process and allocation of challenge race designations to races that prohibit Lasix further strengthens Breeders' Cup commitment to this effort, the organization said.

Even before Breeders' Cup's announcement, most graded stakes in 2021 were scheduled to be run without Lasix following commitments from leading tracks in California, New York, Kentucky, and other areas.