KHRC, Churchill Outline Testing, Security

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has ordered out-of-competition testing of blood samples drawn from horses expected for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Longines Kentucky Oaks (both gr. I), as well as from more than 50% of the horses pointing to other stakes on the May 6-7 programs at Churchill Downs.

An outline of the KHRC medication and testing protocol and security measures being implemented by Churchill was released April 29. The blood samples for out-of-competition testing have or will be taken prior to entry time and sent to LGC Science in Lexington "for immediate testing," officials said.

KHRC veterinarians will perform screenings for TCO2—sodium bicarbonate—levels 30 minutes before horses leave for the paddock.

Race-day furosemide, also called Lasix or Salix, will be administered in each horse's stall by a KHRC vet under regular Kentucky protocol as part of the National Uniform Medication Program. Officials said syringes will be preserved for possible testing. No other medication administration is permitted within 24 hours of a race; in the case of a medical emergency that requires treatment, a horse will be scratched.

Derby horses must be on the grounds at Churchill by 8 a.m. EDT May 4, the day entries are taken, and must remain at Churchill unless there is an emergency. Derby horses will have 24-hour barn security provided by Jefferson County sheriffs from 8 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Derby day.

The KHRC and Churchill said all vets must submit records of all medication administration and treatments from May 2 until race day. Trainers are required to submit a list of treating veterinarians to the KHRC no later than 8 a.m. May 4, according to the guidelines.

Security personnel will monitor all treatments performed by vets, and materials used for medication administrations could be retained by the KHRC for possible testing, officials said. Vets won't be permitted in the stalls of Derby and Oaks runners within 24 hours of the respective races without a KHRC investigator.

As is the usual practice in Kentucky, pre-race exams will be performed by KHRC vets on race day.

"Integrity and maximizing the safety and welfare of our athletes are of great importance to us, and it's imperative to reaffirm our lasting and comprehensive commitments to these very real and important issues," Churchill president Kevin Flanery said in a release. "When it comes to integrity and making racing safer for every race, every day, we remain optimistic that the bar will continue to be raised by all stakeholders."

As for safety measures at Churchill, eight KHRC vets and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital volunteers will be positioned around the racetrack should there be a need for immediate response to an incident. The KHRC veterinarians will be in the paddock when horses are saddled for the Kentucky Derby, and two for all other races.

Churchill will have three Kimzey equine ambulances on site; they will be positioned at the one-mile chute, quarter pole, and the backstretch. A board-certified veterinary surgeon will be present should there be a need for immediate critical-care response, and a triage facility will be available on the backstretch.

If a jockey is injured, he or she will be transported by ambulance to the designated hospital directly from the incident so there will be no ambulance transfers. Churchill will have paramedics and emergency medical technicians on hand to handle jockey care and treatment.