Sale Companies Ban Off-Label Use of Bisphosphonates

Officials from Keeneland Association, Fasig-Tipton, and Ocala Breeders' Sales Company jointly announced March 25 that they will enable buyers of horses younger than 4-years-old to have those horses tested for bisphosphonates.

The policy is being undertaken to ban off-label use of these drugs. The revised conditions of sale for each of these companies takes effect July 1, 2019.

Bisphosphonates are a class of drug used to treat bone loss in humans. The medication also has been approved for use in horses 4 and older specifically to treat navicular disease. Sold under the brand names Tildren and Osphos, bisphosphonates have become a serious concern in sale horses because they are used to hide radiographic evidence of sesamoiditis in sale weanlings and yearlings.

Sesamoiditis is an inflammatory condition affecting the sesamoid bones behind the fetlock joint that can also involve the ligaments that attach to them. A growing body of evidence suggests these drugs disrupt the natural absorption and rebuilding that make bones stronger as horses mature. Disrupting this cycle leads to weaker bones and could predispose a prospective racehorse to serious problems down the road.

At each of the three sales companies, buyers of young horses may request testing for bisphosphonates to be performed at the time of purchase. If the sale horse tests positive, a buyer has the right, within 24 hours of notification, to rescind the sale.

This proactive measure by Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, and OBS—the three major U.S. Thoroughbred auction companies—mirrors the leadership action they took in 2009 to ban the use of anabolic steroids in sales horses.

Keeneland president and CEO Bill Thomason, Fasig-Tipton president Boyd T. Browning Jr., and OBS president Tom Ventura said in a joint statement: "This is an integrity issue. We all agree this policy is critical to strengthen buyer confidence in the entire Thoroughbred auction process. As research continues, we will amend our conditions of sale to reflect the advancements in testing science."

In summary, the policy will be implemented as follows:

• The buyer has the right to request, at the time of purchase, that blood be drawn from a horse to test for the presence of bisphosphonates;
• The respective sales company will coordinate testing with a designated laboratory and report the results of those tests to the consignor and buyer in a timely manner;
• If the sale horse tests positive for bisphosphonates, the buyer has the right, within 24 hours of notification, to rescind the sale and return the horse to the consignor; and
• The buyer will bear the $500 cost of the test; however, if test results are positive, the cost will shift to the consignor.

Trainer Gary Contessa said he was glad to see the ban.

"(Bisphosphonates) could be the worst thing to hit racing because it destroys bone," said Contessa, who was attending The Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's 2-year-olds in training auction. "Early on when this first came out, a vet asked us to try it, and I held off and did some research. I found far more negatives than positives. It is a Band-Aid and when you take it off, the condition is worse."

Even though the drug is approved for use in older horses, Contessa said he is still not convinced even that is acceptable.

"I'm not using anything on my horses unless I understand it," he said. "This is not a good drug."

Better Bisphophonate Testing and Tighter Controls Coming

Andrew Cary with Select Sales supported the ban as well.

"I'm all about our industry moving forward, being transparent, and doing right by the horse," he said. "We have to protect the integrity of the game. It is the only way forward."

Terry Finley, founder and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds, which operates racing partnerships, said he began hearing about bisphosphonates three years ago from Dr. Dionne Benson, executive director and chief operating officer for the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. The RMTC is operated by a board representing 23 industry stakeholders and strives to promote uniform medication rules, policies, and testing standards along with research and education programs. 

"She told me at the time, we have been heading in the right direction on breakdown rates and was concerned we were going to start going the other direction," Finley said. A conversation in March of last year during the OBS 2-year-olds in training sale with Dr. Jeff Berk, president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, motivated Finley to call longtime client Vincent Viola, who is founder and chairman of Virtu Financial and owner of the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers and races with his wife Teresa as St. Elias Stable. West Point and St. Elias were among the owners of 2017 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Always Dreaming .

Finley urged Viola to donate money toward the search for better testing of bisphosphonate use.

"He asked me to find out what they needed," said Finley, who began working the phones and learned that $250,000 would make a significant impact toward the development of a better test. As of now, bisphosphonates can be detected within 28 days of being administered. In young sale horses, however, indications are the drug is being given several months ahead of when a horse may show up at an auction. 

"I told Vinnie $250,000 would make an impact and he decided to donate $500,000," Finley said. "The action taken today is important. To any vet continuing to give this drug, I tell you, you're dead wrong."

With the support from Viola, Berk said he is confident a more advanced test could be developed by the time the yearling sale season begins.

Berk added that he considers the ban one facet of what he hopes will be a multi-pronged effort within the Thoroughbred industry to address the misuse of these drugs in young horses. It is the misuse of these products that is in question, not the drugs themselves.

"While addressing this issue, it is important to remember that we do not know the extent of the use of these products in young horses and do not wish to impugn the integrity of an entire industry based upon anecdotal information," he said.