Hidden Scroll, who pulled up after crossing the wire seventh in Saturday's Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes, is the first case of epistaxis from exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in Kentucky since the state implemented new furosemide administration rules in 2020. The Brad Cox trainee went off at odds of 2-1 for his first start without the race day medication, which is commonly known by its trade name of Lasix or Salix.
Kentucky began a partial phaseout of race day furosemide last year, beginning with 2-year-old races and expanding to include stakes races this year. The drug may now be given no closer than 24 hours before post time in those contests.
Dr. Bruce Howard, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, confirmed that Hidden Scroll's case of epistaxis (visible bleeding from the nostrils) due to EIPH was the first on record since the new rules were implemented. EIPH can occur without visible bleeding from the nostrils and is often detectable only on endoscopic examination; more severe incidents may result in epistaxis.
A frustrated Joe Orseno, who trains multiple graded stakes winner Imprimis, told media immediately after the horse's runner-up effort in the G2 Shakertown that he believed his horse also suffered from epistaxis due to EIPH. Orseno said he could see blood on the horse's nose at the finish, where he was just edged by Bound for Nowhere.
“You're not allowed to run on Lasix anymore,” said Orseno. “They're taking the best horses in the country and they're penalizing them. My horse bled today, visibly. Blood coming out of his nose. How is that good for the public's perception of Lasix? Somebody needs to answer that question. It's not fair to take a horse like this and make 'em bleed. It's just not fair. I wish you'd print every word of that, because it's total bullshit.
“My horse didn't have to bleed. Let him run on Lasix … I care about my horse and his physical condition.”
Orseno pointed out that a bleeding event from EIPH can knock a horse off its training schedule.
“I was supposed to run him in two months, now it's going to be four,” he said. “So I've got to tell the owners, forget the Jaipur, now maybe Saratoga, maybe not, because who knows. I don't know. You never know the damage it does to horses.”
The full interview, courtesy of the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association's Jennie Rees, is available here, following comments from Bound for Nowhere trainer Wesley Ward:
Howard said that besides Hidden Scroll, there was one other incident on Saturday's card related to blood on a horse's nose, but it wasn't a result of EIPH.
“I think the other one which might have been commented on was a horse who broke through the starting gate before the start,” said Howard. “It was examined and reloaded, and ran its race. Post-race, there was a small amount of blood noted in a nostril. The horse was examined in the test barn and a small abrasion or laceration was noted. The private veterinarian came and scoped the horse and there was no bleeding noted in the lower airways.”
Imprimis broke through the starting gate before the start of the Shakertown.
Kentucky's commission voted unanimously for the partial furosemide phaseout in December 2019 and racetracks implemented house rules preventing the administration of furosemide less than 24 hours before a race for 2-year-olds beginning in spring 2020, as a stopgap until the new rule worked its way through legislative approval and became law. The Kentucky HBPA took the tracks and commission to court over the house rules and commission regulation changes. A judge ruled in favor of the tracks and commission in November 2020.
Kentucky does keep records of epistaxis events, and is also participating in a multi-jurisdiction study to administer scopes post-race on horses subject to the 24-hour furosemide rule. The academic study, led by Washington State University, will compare scope results from jurisdictions with a variety of furosemide administration times. Data collection is ongoing and the university is not expected to release results until analysis is complete. Howard was unable to comment on the data collected from Kentucky.
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