Kentucky Committee votes to phase out Lasix

[Grits]

http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-com...hase-out-lasix

[duncan04]

Did not pass as committee was deadlocked 7-7.

[Grits]

Report from later voting of afternoon meeting.

http://www.drf.com/news/lasix-ban-fa...cky-commission

EDIT to add: Well, this isn't going well or showing up right. The link, that is--instead of "fails-kentucky" its coming up....... f...ucky commission.

[Greyfox]

Banning lasix is going to be very tough on horses who are bleeders.
I can't see many trainers going along with that idea, especially on hot summer days.

[cj]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

Banning lasix is going to be very tough on horses who are bleeders.
I can't see many trainers going along with that idea, especially on hot summer days.

The rule would have started with horses that haven't raced yet. Others would be grandfathered.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by Grits

EDIT to add: Well, this isn't going well or showing up right. The link, that is--instead of "fails-kentucky" its coming up....... f...ucky commission.

It works just fine...the message board automatically shrinks long links to save space, but the link will work as advertised.

[duncan04]

The only way a lasix ban would work is if it were a national thing. An individual state or states would be the death of the sport in the state that banned it IMO.

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by duncan04

The only way a lasix ban would work is if it were a national thing. An individual state or states would be the death of the sport in the state that banned it IMO.

As it stands right now, the higher class horses racing in Kentucky would go NY or CA and the cheap ones would end up in IN or OH. This Lasix cat is going to be very difficult to get back in the bag. Most trainers seem to be in love lasix and are simply going to move where they can use it.

[FenceBored]

I'm wondering if the AGSC didn't help push this. Their proposed phased in Lasix ban can't work if every major state doesn't go along with it, but if one major state goes along (or even gets ahead of them) they think they can arm-twist the others.

From the Feb. article on the suspension of implementation of the Graded Stakes race-day medication ban:

“Due to the nature of the various entities involved in implementation of rules governing racing, the policy has taken longer to implement than the committee hoped when the announcement regarding the ban was made in August 2011,” said Dr. J. David Richardson, chairman of the AGSC, in the statement. “Over the past six months, through the leadership of the American Graded Stakes Committee and others in the industry, a great deal of valuable discussion has occurred regarding the important issue of medication administered to racehorses.

Read more: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...#ixzz1sInLtAqR

[Grits]

http://www.thoroughbredracingradione...essfully+saved

Dale Romans addresses lasix debate and his involvement in yesterday's meeting, on air with Steve Byk.

[FenceBored]

Just spotted this gem:

Travis said that if the rule were to be adopted, he wouldn’t buy yearlings this September at Keeneland because they couldn’t race in Kentucky on furosemide.
-- http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...d-racing-fails

I hope he was saying that he wouldn't be buying more horses, period.

If he was really saying that he just wouldn't buy yearlings in Kentucky (because he thinks that all the yearlings at Keeneland Sept. are KY bred, and/or can only be raced in Kentucky) then ...

[Grits]

http://www.drf.com/news/lasix-oppone...ntinue-efforts

Matt Hegarty writes further on proceedings.

[tholl]

Comment from someone on the DRF site: Not a bad idea.

Quote:

lasix is a performance enhancing drug, so why arent the horses without lasix being treated fairly. the racing secretary should make every race a level playing field. horses not using lasix should carry less weight, anywhere from 5 to 8 pounds less. does anyone bet maiden horses without lasix as much as they do lasix users ? no. the racing secretary is suppose to be a good handicapper. so why do performance enhancing drug users get an advantage ?

[Robert Goren]

A lot of people suspect that lasix is being used as masking agent for other drugs. That is the real problem with the drug. It may be being used used by cheaters to cover their tracks. I have no real proof one way or the other, but that is the way some people feel. This sport has a problem with its image and Lasix is part of that problem. It should deal with the lasix perception one way or the other for the good of the sport, but it probably won't or can't.

[tholl]

Think that the vote would have gone for phasing out Lasix if Kentucky was in a more stable situation racing wise.

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/rac...ace-day-lasix/