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Major Racing Organizations to Jointly Fund Study On Lasix in 2-Year-Olds

The Stronach Group, Breeders’ Cup Ltd., Churchill Downs Inc., Keeneland, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and the New York Racing Association, Inc. have agreed to jointly fund North America’s largest study on the effects of furosemide and on the prevalence and severity of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) in 2-year-old racehorses.

The study, formally titled Furosemide: Its Effects on the Prevalence and Severity of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) and the Immune System’s Normal Response to Exercise in Two-Year-Old Racehorses, began this month and is being led by Dr. Warwick Bayly and Dr. Macarena Sanz from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Services at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

The study will aim to address the debate surrounding whether or not injection of furosemide has beneficial, detrimental or no effects on the welfare of 2-year-olds. The use of furosemide and its effects has been a dominant issue confronting North American racing for more than a decade. The study will try to address unanswered questions at the heart of furosemide use, namely:

Does the administration of furosemide four hours before racing and/or training reduce the severity of EIPH in two-year-old racehorses?
Does the pre-race administration of furosemide four hours before racing effect a horse’s performance?

The study will evaluate the endoscopic exams from at least 600 horses from three groups representing the major racing jurisdictions of California, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Horses will be evaluated in three groups: 1) those who are given furosemide at least 48 hours before racing or not at all; 2) those who are given furosemide 24 hours before racing or not at all and; 3) those who are administered furosemide four hours before racing. Veterinary practitioners from each of the jurisdictions will be asked to recruit trainers who are existing clients to voluntarily participate in the study.

“This study provides an opportunity to fill a critical knowledge gap on the use of furosemide,” said Dr. Warwick Bayly, Professor, Equine Medicine, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. “As a first-of-its-kind study of this depth, it is our hope that once completed we will be able to provide additional information that will enable the horse racing industry to address the regulation of furosemide in the United States from a scientifically-informed perspective.”

“The current patchwork of rules and regulations across the United States regarding the administration of furosemide does a disservice to the horses and the practitioners who care for them,” said Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer, The Stronach Group. “This study is an opportunity for industry stakeholders to come together to invest in meaningful steps to address pressing questions so that we may develop a higher and more consistent standard of rules and regulations.”

Preliminary results from the study are expected to be available in spring 2021, assuming the quantity and quality of the samples satisfy the requirements for statistical relevance as set out by Dr. Bayly and Dr. Sanz.

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Oaklawn Releases New Proposed Integrity Initiatives for ’21

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?'”

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 GI Kentucky Derby (Smarty Jones, GII Southwest S., GII Rebel S., and GI Arkansas Derby) and GI Kentucky Oaks (Martha Washington, GIII Honeybee S., and GIII Fantasy S.)
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.

“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, Bill Walmsley, president of the Arkansas HBPA, added, “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 through Saturday, May 1. Stall applications are now available on www.oaklawn.com and are due Nov. 5.

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Turfway Construction Halted Until KY Clears Up Historical Racing Ambiguity

Turfway Park’s new grandstand and historical racing machine (HRM) facility won’t get built until the state of Kentucky clears up the ambiguity surrounding the apparent illegality of that form of video gambling, which contributes tens of millions of dollars annually to purses in the state.

That news was delivered by Bill Carstanjen, chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), in an Oct. 29 third-quarter earnings call with investors.

CDI, a gaming corporation with six Thoroughbred tracks in its portfolio, acquired Turfway last year and soon thereafter embarked upon a $200 project to revitalize the track and build an accompanying wagering facility 12 miles to the northeast. That satellite facility has recently been completed and is up and running with 500 HRMs, but the track itself is slated to begin its December-March racing season without permanent infrastructure that will be open to the general public.

On Sept. 24, the Supreme Court of Kentucky reversed and remanded a previous ruling by Franklin Superior Court that had determined that the Encore brand of HRM gaming used by some tracks constitutes legal pari-mutuel wagering. Although the court opinion applied to only that one specific brand of gaming machinery, it theoretically could apply to all makes and models of HRM in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and Keeneland have already petitioned the Supreme Court for a rehearing, and elected officials have been lobbied hard by Thoroughbred interests to come up with a legislative fix to ensure that HRMs remain legal and operational.

“Regarding the Turfway Park HRM and grandstand project, we have temporarily paused the construction of this facility,” Carstanjen said. “In late September, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued a decision concerning the legality of the company called Exacta HRMs under Kentucky law. While we do not have any Exacta HRMs at any of our facilities, and therefore are not directly impacted by the Kentucky Supreme Court ruling, we feel it is prudent to refrain from further significant capital investment until the Kentucky legislature has an opportunity to review the decision and the technicalities in the current law during the legislative session starting in early 2021.

“We appreciate the support of Gov. [Andy] Beshear, the KHRC, and many legislators on both sides of the aisle who are actively reviewing and discussing this decision. While the Kentucky Supreme Court decision was technically a narrow one, we anticipate that the Kentucky legislature may consider revisions to the relevant statute in the first quarter of 2021.

“It appears there is a broad recognition that it is important and necessary to address any ambiguity to protect the thousands of jobs created by the horse industry, the purse money that is generated for the benefit of the horsemen and the downstream Kentucky breeding and related farms, and the millions of dollars in annual tax revenues that are generated by HRMs for funding various programs in our state,” Carstanjen said.

A hotel and HRM facility at Churchill Downs, the flagship property of the gaming corporation, also remains on hold. But the reason cited by Carstanjen was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and not the Supreme Court ruling on HRMs.

“We remain paused on building the hotel and HRM facility at Churchill Downs racetrack until we are past the pandemic and can again model the future with more certainty. This is just being prudent with our shareholders’ capital,” Carstanjen said.

The Churchill construction pause is not new. It’s been halted since April, just after the onset of the pandemic, when Carstanjen said in another CDI earnings call that the $300-million project was on hold “until after we have completed” the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby.

Looking ahead to that 2021 Derby, Carstanjen said CDI is aiming for a return to the traditional first Saturday in May calendar spot, which falls on May 1. In 2020, the Derby got pushed back to Sept. 5 because of the pandemic.

“We do not anticipate moving off our traditional date of the first Saturday in May,” Carstanjen said. “We are starting with the assumption that we will limit the number of reserved seats to 40 to 50% of capacity, and we will delay selling any general admissions tickets which do not come with seats until we are closer to the date of the Derby.”

If circumstances surrounding the pandemic improve, CDI will revisit that plan and open up more ticketing options, Carstanjen said.

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GSW Rideforthecause among Fasig-Tipton’s Latest November Supplements

Supplemental entries to the upcoming November Sale, billed as the “Night of the Stars,” continue to be added to the Fasig-Tipton catalogue. The latest supplements include four racing or broodmare prospects, highlighted by Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}) (hip 282), winner of the Sept. 18 GII Canadian S. A half-sister to 2020 GI Northern Dancer Turf S. star Say the Word (More Than Ready), her third dam is Canadian Horse of the Year and Broodmare of the Year Dance Smartly (Danzig). Rideforthecause will be consigned by Sam-Son Farm as part of their recently announced dispersal.

Four Stars Sales consigns Into Mystic (Into Mischief) (hip 283), victress of the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint S. Aug. 2, who has since placed in two graded events, including a nose defeat to MGISW Got Stormy (Get Stormy) in the GIII Buffalo Trace Franklin County S. Oct. 9. Taylor Made Sales consigns Shippy (Midshipman) (hip 284), runaway winner of this summer’s Blue Sparkler S. at Monmouth Park, who also had graded stakes form last year at two. And finally, Stuart Morris consigns 2-year-old Miss Nondescript (Mosler) (hip 285), who won the Oct. 24 Maryland Million Lassie S. to remain undefeated.

The November Sale is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. with supplemental entries accepted through the Breeders’ Cup.

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