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Arkansas Derby Preps Can Be Lasix-Free After State Signs Off On Revised Rule

Oaklawn Park will now have the ability to card Lasix-free stakes races after a state legislative review committee in Arkansas signed off on a series of racing rule changes Friday. According to the Daily Racing Form, Oaklawn can now fall into line with the new requirements by Churchill Downs that all qualifying points races for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks must be run with 24-hour furosemide administration only.

Also among new rule changes are a reduction of furosemide dosage from 500 milligrams to 250 milligrams, and a 60-day prohibition on clenbuterol pre-race.

The move comes as 1/ST Racing announced that Gulfstream Park stakes races in 2021 will be run under the same condition. Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Del Mar, The Stronach Group, NYRA and others in the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition have called for gradual partial phaseout of the anti-bleeding medication pre-race over recent years. Several tracks carded races in 2020 with the new 24-hour Lasix administration time for 2-year-old races, and the second part of the phaseout calls for the same rule to apply to stakes races in 2021.

Ultimately, coalition organizers have said, they hope the new rules will give trainers a chance to see whether young racehorses really need the drug and to reduce the number of severe bleeders entering the gene pool. A multi-jurisdictional study is underway to study the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in 2-year-olds under the new rules.

Trainer Federico Villafranco Suspended Through First 30 Days Of Oaklawn Meet For Caffeine Positives

Trainer Federico Villafranco, among the top 10 conditioners by wins at Oaklawn Park in 2020, will miss the first 30 days of the 2021 season at the Hot Springs oval due to a Dec. 14 ruling published by the Arkansas Racing Commission, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News.

Four of Villafranco's trainees, two winners and two second-place finishers, returned positives for caffeine in their post-race test results on dates from Feb. 1 through Feb. 8, 2020. The four horses — Millwood, D'Rapper, Fayette Warrior, and Council Rules — were all disqualified from their placings with purse monies forfeited.

Villafranco was suspended under the “absolute insurer rule,” with his suspension scheduled to run from Jan. 22 through Feb. 20, 2021.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Arkansas Commission Approves Rule Changes On Clenbuterol, Lasix

During its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Dec. 10, the Arkansas Racing Commission approved 16 rule changes originally proposed by Oaklawn Park and the Arkansas HBPA, reports the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Key provisions include the prohibition of Clenbuterol (and other beta2-agonists) within 60 days of a race, reduction in the maximum amount of Lasix without specific veterinary approval, and the mandatory use of safety whips in races.

The Clenbuterol regulations will be confirmed through hair testing, and will also provide for claimed horses to be tested for the bronchodilator, with the ability to void a claim if the claimed horse tests positive.

Lasix administration has been cut by 50 percent, to 250 milligrams, unless the official veterinarian approves a dose up to 500 milligrams. Since the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the Road to the Kentucky Oaks will not award points to horses racing on Lasix, the commission will prohibit the use of Lasix in any 3-year-old stakes race awarding points. These include: the Smarty Jones, Southwest (G3), Rebel (G2), Arkansas Derby (G1), Martha Washington, Honeybee (G3), and Fantasy (G3).

Additional rule changes include:

• The use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy, radial pulse wave therapy, or similar treatments will not be allowed within 30 days of a race. Also, shock wave equipment will not be allowed on Oaklawn's grounds at any time.
• Trainer and veterinarian records must be made available upon request for review by the pre-race exam veterinarians.
• The only riding crops allowed during races will be the 360 Gentle Touch (360 GT), Pro-Cush or other similar riding crops approved by the stewards.
• Horses will be required to be on the grounds at least 72 hours before races unless approved for late arrival. To facilitate this, entries will be scheduled at least four days prior to a race.

According to Byron Freeland, attorney for the commission, the rule changes won't go into effect until after review by the Legislative Council's Administrative Rules Subcommittee, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday.

Read more at the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

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Oaklawn Announces New Integrity Initiatives Ahead Of 2021 Season

Working in partnership with the Arkansas Racing Commission and the Arkansas HBPA (Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association), Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort has announced, subject to legislative approval, a series of significant proposed safety and integrity enhancements planned for the 2021 racing season. Key provisions include the prohibition of Clenbuterol within 60 days of a race, reduction in the maximum amount of Lasix without specific approval, and the mandatory use of safety whips in races.

“We began working on these measures last spring,” said Oaklawn President Louis Cella. “We hosted a series of roundtable meetings with horsemen, regulators, racing officials, and our own management team where we asked a simple question: 'What can we do to enhance the safety and integrity of our program?'.”

Cella said the effort resulted in about a dozen proposed rule and policy changes, some of which are unique in American Thoroughbred racing. The rule changes are currently making their way through the regulatory approval process in Arkansas and are expected to be finalized in advance of the start of the 2021 racing season, Jan. 22.

“We could not have accomplished all of this without the strong partnership we have with our Racing Commission and our horsemen,” Cella said. “When it comes to integrity and safety, we are united.”

Some of the proposed rule or policy changes include:

• The use of Clenbuterol or any other beta2-agonist will not be allowed within 60 days prior to a race at Oaklawn, confirmed for the first time through hair testing.
• The maximum dosage of Lasix that can be administered has been reduced by 50% without specific approval of the State Veterinarian. Lasix is also prohibited in any 3-year-old stakes that awards points towards eligibility in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. These are the Smarty Jones, Southwest (G3), Rebel (G2), and Arkansas Derby (G1) for horses pointing towards the Kentucky Derby. And the Martha Washington, Honeybee (G3), and Fantasy (G3) for horses pointing towards the Kentucky Oaks.
• The use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy, radial pulse wave therapy, or similar treatments will not be allowed within 30 days of a race. Also, shock wave equipment will not be allowed on Oaklawn's grounds at any time.
• Trainer and veterinarian records must be made available upon request for review by the pre-race exam veterinarians.
• The only riding crops allowed during races will be the 360 Gentle Touch (360 GT), Pro-Cush or other similar riding crops approved by the stewards.
• Off-track training facilities in Arkansas will be asked to agree to abide by rules similar to rules that apply on-track.
• Horses will be required to be on the grounds at least 72 hours before races unless approved for late arrival. To facilitate this, entries will be scheduled at least four days prior to a race.

Cella said the timing for these safety and integrity enhancements is perfect. “Our racing program has become one of the elite racing programs in America with a projected average daily purse distribution of $700,000 a day in 2021,” he added. “In addition, we are close to completing a $100-million expansion project that will elevate the program even further. So the time for safety and integrity enhancements is now.”

One of the individuals who worked closely with Oaklawn and horsemen in the development of these measures was Alex Lieblong, Chairman of the Arkansas Racing Commission. A horse owner himself, Lieblong said, “I applaud Oaklawn for taking these forward-thinking steps that will help solidify Oaklawn's status as one of the premier racing destinations in the country. They have the full support of the Racing Commission.”

Another key participant was Bill Walmsley, president of the Arkansas HBPA. “We began these meetings in early 2020 and continued working through the summer and into the fall. While we do not endorse every change, we do not object to any of these changes. Overall, it has been a true partnership effort, and it demonstrates why Oaklawn, the Arkansas HBPA and the Arkansas Racing Commission enjoy what I believe is the strongest working relationship in the industry.”

Oaklawn's 2021 season runs from Friday, Jan. 22 to Saturday, May 1. Stall applications are now available on www.oaklawn.com and are due Thursday, Nov. 5. The schedule features a total of 33 stakes worth $11,000,000 and will be highlighted by four $1 million stakes races – $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2), $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1), $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2), and $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) – and the richest purse structure in its 117-year history.

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