Research Proposals on Lasix will be Accepted by HISA Sept. 1

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority called for potential researchers to prepare research proposals on the administration of furosemide, still commonly called Lasix in racing, to Thoroughbred racehorses during the 48-hour period before the start of a race, the organization said in a release Thursday evening. The call for proposals is expected to be released Sept. 1.

As the Authority was created by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) of 2020, it is mandated by Congress to include at least one study on the use of furosemide. Included in the study is the effect of Lasix on equine health and the integrity of competition while using the medication.

Study conclusions will be used to guide the Authority's Furosemide Advisory Committee (FAC) in its recommendations to the Authority's Board. In evaluating applications, the FAC will pay particular attention to the impact of the proposed work as it applies to racing in North America.

Any questions should be directed to feedback@hisaus.org and titled “HISA research.”

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HISA’s Lasix Advisory Committee Set

Edited Press Release

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced the members of an Advisory Committee which has been convened to oversee a three-year study on the use of furosemide (also known as “Lasix”) on horses during the 48-hour period before the start of a Covered Horserace, including the effect on equine health and the integrity of competition.

The establishment of this Advisory Committee for the study of furosemide administration and the requirements of the study are specifically mandated and set forth in the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. The HISA Board of Directors delegated its authority to select the Advisory Committee members to HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Committee who did so based on the members' relevant expertise. The Advisory Committee will oversee the process of issuing a Request for Proposal to conduct the research, reviewing grant applications from academic researchers and allocating grant funding for the study.

When the independent scientific research has been completed and published, it will be presented to the Advisory Committee who will then relay the findings and their recommendations to the HISA Board of Directors.

The Furosemide Advisory Committee is comprised of the following members:

  • Emma Adam, DVM, Ph.D., is a veterinarian with over 24 years of racing experience in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Australia. She is board-certified in equine medicine from Texas A&M University and in surgery from the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Adam also received her Ph.D. in musculoskeletal science from the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center.
  • Alan Foreman is Chairman of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (THA) and Vice-Chairman of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC). Foreman is considered one of the leading racing law and equine attorneys in the United States and is an expert on medications used in horse racing.
  • Scott Hay, DVM, is a veterinarian at Teigland, Franklin and Brokken, where he focuses on lameness, performance evaluations and purchase examinations. He also serves on the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Hay previously served as President of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and as a member of the Grayson-Jockey Club's Scientific Advisory Committee.
  • Ted Hill, VMD, is a racing steward for The Jockey Club with more than 23 years of experience. He previously served as Chief Veterinarian for the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Dr. Hill received his VMD from the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Rob Holland, DVM, Ph.D., is a respiratory and infectious disease specialist in Lexington, Kentucky and partner at Holland Management Services, Inc., a consulting practice offering solutions in outcomes research and veterinary medicine. Dr. Holland has worked with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and is an expert in equine drug testing processes.
  • Heather Knych, DVM, Ph.D., DACVCP, is a Professor of Clinical Veterinary Pharmacology and Head of the Pharmacology Section at the K.L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Pharmacology Laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Kynch is board-certified in Clinical Veterinary Pharmacology and has an extensive publication record in the areas of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. She received her DVM and Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of California, Davis, where she also conducted her residency in Veterinary Pharmacology.
  • Ryan Murphy is the Executive Director for the Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC), the leading anti-doping research organization dedicated to the protection of clean athletes. Prior to joining the PCC, Murphy served as Program Officer with the Sports Diplomacy division at the U.S. Department of State and prior to that as Senior Manager for Sport & Competition for Special Olympics International. Murphy has also worked as an International Doping Control Officer for International Doping Tests & Management. In addition to his work at the PCC, Murphy serves as an Adjunct Professor for the Sports Industry Management Master's program at Georgetown University.
  • Foster Northrop, DVM, is a practicing racetrack veterinarian with more than 35 years of industry experience. He has served on the boards of the KHRC and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), as well as the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee.
  • Scott Palmer, VMD, is a former President of the AAEP and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). He also chaired the New York Task Force for Racehorse Health and Safety from 2011 to 2013 and served as a clinician and referral surgeon at the New Jersey Equine Clinic for 38 years. He is currently a member of the RMTC's Scientific Advisory Committee, the Horseracing Testing Laboratory Committee, the Association of Racing Commissioners International's (ARCI) Drug Testing and Standards Committee and the ARCI's Equine Welfare and Veterinarians Committee.
  • N. Edward Robinson, BVetMed, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized veterinarian, academic and researcher who spent nearly 50 years at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, during which he spent more than 20 years as the Matilda R. Wilson Professor of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Dr. Robinson has spent his career researching lung disease in horses. He received his veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College in London and a Ph.D. from University of California, Davis.
  • Corinne Sweeney, DVM (HIWU Appointment), is an American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) specialist and has spent the past 44 years at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She has served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission since 2008 and previously served as Chair of the ARCI in 2019. She is a certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner and has served as the Penn Vet Ombuds since 2015.

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Belmont Race Down to Two Horses After Lasix Mix-Up; Veterinarian Dismissed

The third race at Belmont Park Friday was left with just two horses entered to run after Lasix was not administered to four horses who were supposed to receive it. The veterinarian charged with administering the Lasix, Dr. Steven Lascher, “is no longer employed by NYRA,” the company said.

The race, a $100,000 allowance optional claimer at one mile had drawn six entries, but was left with just two: Pharoah's Heart (American Pharoah) and Honey Money (Central Banker) after the omission came to light.

“Four horses entered to run in today's R3 at Belmont Park @TheNYRA were not administered Lasix within the permitted timeframe,” Tweeted NYRA's Director of Communications, Patrick McKenna. “As a result, Impazible Donna (#1), Dancing Sophia (#2), Ok Honey (#5) and Movie Moxy (#6) have been scratched by the stewards.”

Reached by email, McKenna outlined the relevant rule requiring the stewards to scratch the horses.

The rule is Gaming Commission rule, 4043.2 Section 7, which reads. “Ineligibility to start. Any horse that is eligible for the administration of furosemide must be present on the grounds of the racing association or corporation no less than four hours prior to scheduled post time of the race in which the horse is scheduled to compete. A horse that is not present at least four hours prior to post time or that has not received the administration of furosemide pursuant to this subdivision shall be ineligible to start.”

“Per the stewards, purse money only is not an option in this instance,” McKenna added. “NYRA is responsible for the administration of Lasix at Belmont Park, not the New York State Gaming Commission. NYRA will review the relevant internal protocols and update as necessary.”

“What I was told was that the vet did not administer Lasix to four of the six participants, which caused them to be scratched,” said Linda Rice, who was scheduled to send out Movie Moxie (Street Sense) in the race. “Obviously no one is happy.”

Rice said that the Lasix should have been administered between 9:30 and 10 a.m., and that four hours before post time, scheduled for 2:16 p.m., those horses who had not been treated were scratched.

Trainer Rob Atras sent out Honey Money, who did receive Lasix Friday morning.

“I'm not there today, but what I was told is that the vet missed (giving them) the Lasix,” said Atras. “I don't know how he got two, but missed the other four,” he said, adding that Michelle Nevin's starter, Pharoah's Heart, is in a barn close to his, and also received the medication.

A spokesman for the New York State Gaming Commission said that the commission had no official comment for publication.

Friday's was the second incident in under a year when four horses had to be scratched after not receiving Lasix in a timely manner–both involving Lascher. In 2022, he was fined $4,000 by the Gaming Commission after “failing to follow proper Lasix procedures necessitating the late scratches of horses racing.”

Friday's third race was won by Pharoah's Heart, who went off the 1-2 favorite.

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Delaware Park Live Racing Dates Approved for 2023

Dates for the 2023 live racing season at Delaware Park, which this year will offer 85 days from May 24 through Oct. 28, were approved by the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission on Tuesday. The 86th season at the Wilmington oval will be conducted on a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule with the exception of seven dark Fridays–May 26, July 28, every Friday in August, and Oct. 27.

This year's stakes schedule, anchored by the GII $500,000 Delaware H., offers 12 added-money events worth $2.25 million. Additionally, all stakes races will be run Lasix-free this year.

The Delaware H., which had been contested at 1 1/4 miles every year since 1951 with the exception of 2020 when it was shortened to nine furlongs during the Covid-19 pandemic, will be contested a mile and three-sixteenths this year. Before 1951 it was contested at a mile and a sixteenth.

“It has become increasingly more difficult to consistently attract the top contenders in the filly and mare division with the race at a mile and a quarter, but we also want to be respectful of the distance aspect of the tradition as much as possible,” Delaware Park Director of Racing Jerome “Jed” Doro said. “We are hoping a sixteenth of a mile less will encourage more of the top contenders in the division to come while still keeping the race attractive to those who want a little more ground.”

Other notable stakes offered during the 2023 season include the GIII $300,000 Delaware Oaks and GIII $250,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial S., both set to be contested July 1.

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