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Study: Omeprazole And Bute Not Necessarily A Good Combination

Omeprazole is often prescribed to horses that are receiving phenylbutazone in an effort to reduce the chances of a horse developing equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), though it isn't clear how safe or effective this treatment is.

Drs. Megan Ricord, Frank Andrews, Francisco Yñiguez, Michael Keowen, Frank Garza Jr., Linda Paul, Ann Chapman and Heidi Banse created a study to evaluate the effect of omeprazole on adult horses with EGUS caused by phenylbutazone.

The research team used 22 horses that had equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) and equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD), each horse had a score of a 2 or higher when tested for the disease. The horses were divided into three groups: one group (eight horses) received 4.4 mg/kg of oral phenylbutazone every 12 hours; the second group (eight horses) received the same phenylbutazone dose plus 4 mg/kg of oral omeprazole every 24 hours. The control group (six horses) received neither phenylbutazone or omeprazole.

The horses were treated for 14 days and had their stomachs scoped at days seven and 14. Blood tests were done at the beginning and end of the study period. Five of the horses did not complete the study because of intestinal issues (two in the phenylbutazone-only group and three in the phenylbutazone/omeprazole group).

The scientists found that the EGGD score increased in the study group that received the phenylbutazone only when compared to the horses that also received omeprazole. They found no difference in the ESGD scores between the two groups. Strikingly, six of the eight horses in the phenylbutazone/omeprazole group developed intestinal complications—two of which were fatal. Only two of the horses in the phenylbutazone-only group had intestinal complications, and neither of them died.

The team concluded that using omeprazole reduced the severity of EGGD, but that caution should be exercized when using the two concurrently, especially when this takes place at the same time as a management change.

Read the study here.

Florida Thoroughbred Charities Kicks Off Online Charity Auction

From coveted racing memorabilia, halters of champions and unique gifts to original art, handcrafted goods, quality services, and one-of-a-kind experiences, Florida Thoroughbred Charities kicked off the Horse Capital of the World® auction online benefiting Thoroughbred retirement and youth education programs.

The FTC auction runs until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8 and is sponsored by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' & Owners' Association and media partners Horse Capital Television and Florida Equine Communications. Kathleen' O Connell Racing Stables is also a sponsor of the first online auction held by the charity which has been unable to host its annual fundraisers at the FTBOA Gala and FTC charity golf tournament.

Thanks to the generous support of the thoroughbred community and the vendors who service the industry, FTC has 57 items up for bid and is adding items daily. Featured items include the halters of Justify, Speightstown, Wildcat Heir and the Arrogate-Songbird filly. A number of original art pieces and photographs are part of the offering and are by Alaura Allen, Linda Reitz, Tina Powers, Carol Moore Demme, Butch Crawford and Serita Hult.

Historical memorabilia includes a framed Hialeah opening day photo and Kentucky Derby programs for Carry Back, 1961, and Triple Crown winner Affirmed, 1978. Autographed items include a photo of Colonial Affair signed by Julie Krone, a Secretariat by Fred Stone limited edition plate signed by jockey Ron Turcotte, a signed first edition of Secretariat Reborn by award-winning author and thoroughbred breeder Susan Klaus and an American Pharoah print signed by jockey Victor Espinoza.

FTC is the charitable arm of the FTBOA. Since 1990, FTC has strengthened and supported the community by raising more than $3.5 million for charitable organizations within the thoroughbred industry, the city of Ocala, Marion County and the state of Florida. The charity primarily funds the Second Chances Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) farm at the Lowell Correctional Institution giving women there a chance to learn equine skills so they can be placed on farms for employment after release.

In 2020, the farm celebrated its 20 year anniversary and is the only female inmate program partnering with retired thoroughbreds in the United States. The program has a low recidivism rate. The former racehorses each inmate works with positively change their lives. FTC also funds youth education including scholarships.

The auction can be viewed at https://www.32auctions.com/horsecapitaloftheworld and most items are available for purchase worldwide and will be shipped or can be pick-up in Ocala, Fla. Check item descriptions for details. The charity is also accepting donations or sponsorships by making checks payable to FTC, 801 SW 60^th Avenue, Ocala FL 34474 or call 352-629-2160 for details.

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Riddle Pens Book On Veterinary Career, Sending Proceeds To Charity

Announcing the release of the book, The Riddle Half (of Rood and Riddle) written by Dr. Tom Riddle, one of the co-founders of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Including stories from his childhood and his career, Dr. Riddle recounts his role in establishing one of the largest equine veterinary practices in the world.

With a combination of humility and pride, Riddle tells how he and Dr. Bill Rood joined together and built a practice, which has locations in Lexington, Ky., Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Wellington, Fla. Rood and Riddle has achieved both a national and international reputation for excellence in equine veterinary medicine.

All profits from the sale of The Riddle Half (of Rood and Riddle) go to the Foundation for the Horse, the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP's) charitable arm, which supports horses and horse people throughout the world, and the Theriogenology Foundation, the global non-profit of the organization of veterinarians dedicated to animal reproduction.

The book may be purchased by contacting Rood and Riddle Veterinary Pharmacy at 859-246-0112 or online at RRVP.com.

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Breeders’ Cup Officials Say 100 Percent Of Starters Have Gotten At Least One Out-Of-Competition Test

For the second time in series history, 100 percent of the Breeders' Cup runners loading into the gate this weekend will have undergone at least one out-of-competition test (OOCT). Last year was the first time Breeders' Cup officials expanded the OOCT program broadly enough to catch every entrant. This year, Breeders' Cup Out-of-Competition Program Director Dr. William Farmer said 10% of starters got more than one OOCT, 20% of entries were subjected to paired hair and blood testing, and 25% of samples were submitted to random bisphosphonate testing.

A total of 300 individual samples across 20 different facilities were tested. As reported earlier this week, one OOCT came up positive for stanozolol, resulting in the scratch of Princess Secret from the Juvenile Fillies.

OOCT began in June in the United States. Breeders' Cup was able to send testers to collect samples from internationally-based runners during the year, with the exception of those in Ireland. Those horses were sampled upon their arrival into the United States with the cooperation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials.

Breeders' Cup took over its own OOCT in 2017, in the wake of the 2016 scandal over Masochistic's positive OOCT for stanozolol. Before that time, OOCT went through the local commission and results were not always released to Breeders' Cup officials before the races. After the Breeders' Cup took over testing, the authority expanded its ability to test more horses, taking the percentage of horses covered from 40 percent of runners to 100 percent in 2019.

This year's figures were revealed at the annual health and safety media briefing Wednesday morning. Also at that briefing, Dr. Deborah Lamparter, co-leader of the Breeders' Cup veterinary team, highlighted a few key changes to pre-race veterinary monitoring. After last year's high profile breakdown of Mongolian Groom, a review of veterinary procedures conducted by Dr. Larry Bramlage resulted in six suggestions for improvement. According to Lamparter's report, several of those have been implemented this year.

Breeders' Cup veterinarians are teaming up with Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians to keep two sets of eyes on each horse for examinations that will take place throughout the week in addition to the exam on the morning of the horse's race. Those veterinary teams have studied each horse's pre-race exam history as it has been entered into InCompass software, which shares veterinary notes across jurisdictions. This week's exams will include palpation of legs as well as jogging in the barn area.

Horses entering the track for morning training at both Churchill Downs and Keeneland are required to jog in a line for veterinarians, with vets standing in front, behind, and off to the side of the horse for its jog. If the horse successfully passes the jog, it can go on with its regularly-scheduled exercise. The jogs are videoed and available for review later. A veterinarian will be watching video streams of morning workouts in addition to the veterinarians on the ground observing morning work, and vets will have access to videos of works taken by the track and various media outlets to review later.

If veterinarians find anything of concern, they will request the trainer have diagnostics done on the horse.

“After all of those reviews, if the horse is deemed unfit to start, a official KHRC veterinarian will recommend the horse be scratched,” said Lamparter.

Surface experts report Keeneland's surfaces seem to be in good shape as the weekend approaches. Jim Pendergast, Keeneland track superintendent, reported that testing of the dirt and turf indicate the depth of cushion and track composition are all good. The track maintenance crew will take 45 moisture measurements and 45 going stick measurements each morning to check the surface and determine ratings for the surfaces. Currently, Pendergast anticipates the turf track, which is holding onto moisture from rain several days ago, will be listed as good by the start of the weekend.

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