Coalition Critical of California Lasix Delay
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The Coalition for Horse Racing Integrity, which supports federal legislation regarding equine medication, said Aug. 21 that California's failure to adopt third-party administration of the race-day drug furosemide shows the pitfalls of state-by-state regulation.
The California Horse Racing Board, after lengthy discussion Aug. 20, tabled a vote on the matter after hearing objections from veterinarians and the California Thoroughbred Trainers. Third-party administration of the anti-bleeding medication Lasix, also known as Salix, is part of the National Uniform Medication Program, components of which the state has adopted.
BALAN; CHRB Delays Any Action on Third-Party Lasix
Thus far 14 racing jurisdictions have shifted to regulatory administration of Lasix, hiring veterinary services, or allowing racetrack vets to do so under regulatory supervision, according to Racing Medication and Testing Consortium statistics. The CTT earlier voiced its support for having private vets administer Lasix under regulatory supervision similar to the program in place in Indiana.
The coalition, in a release, noted California has been debating Lasix administration for about three years.
"California is vital to American racing," the coalition said. "The failure to pass a specific, necessary medication reform in a timely fashion underscores the need for uniform regulation and enforcement through the privatized, non-governmental Thoroughbred Horseracing Anti-Doping Authority to make overdue reforms a reality in all 38 racing states.
"This latest event truly demonstrates the difficulty of achieving uniformity under the current state-by-state approach."
Coalition members are Breeders' Cup, Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, The Jockey Club, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, and Water Hay Oats Alliance. The groups support the Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act of 2015, which would give the United States Anti-Doping Agency oversight of equine medication, drug testing, and enforcement.
The Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held in California in 2016 and 2017. Last year at Santa Anita Park, Breeders' Cup employed private vets to administer race-day Lasix for the event because California hadn't approved the third-party system.
Breeders' Cup chief operating officer Bob Elliston said having the full National Uniform Medication Program in place at host sites isn't currently mandatory, but the organization wants host-site jurisdictions to demonstrate serious efforts to move in that direction.
"We do want regulatory administration of race-day medication," Elliston said, "but we do recognize the regulatory process goes at different paces in each jurisdiction. That's why we haven't drawn a line in the sand."
Dr. Dionne Benson, executive director of the RMTC, said third-party administration of Lasix has been well-received after initial apprehension by some jurisdictions. California is the only major racing state that hasn't moved forward with it.
"There were a few issues (early on in the process) in Kentucky everybody likes to point to, but I never get a complaint when I (administer Lasix) on behalf of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission," Benson said. "Horsemen seem fine with it. It gives some consistency, and horsemen like the fact no one else (is administering something other than Lasix).
"I haven't heard a complaint from any state that has adopted it. There were lots of questions beforehand, but it has been widely accepted. It's one of the things we can say has had a positive effect."
The CHRB indicated the matter would be discussed further but offered no timetable for a resolution.