Friday, 15 June 2012: The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has approved the elimination of the anti-bleeder drug furosemide, commonly known as Salix or Lasix, from all graded and listed black type races by 2016.
Kentucky is the first US state to ratify a Lasix ban, treatment that has long been ridiculed by jurisidictions outside North America which has long stood alone among major racing jurisdictions in allowing horses to be treated with the drug on race days.
“This is a progressive and internationally welcomed move by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission,” said Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Vice Chairman of the Iinternational Federation of Horse Authorities.
“Kentucky is the heartbeat of the American breeding industry and home to the Kentucky Derby.
"It is, therefore, fitting that the Bluegrass State has broken ranks and pushed through this groundbreaking measure.
"I hope that this is the first step towards full global harmonization on the issue of raceday medication.”
The Kentucky plan will ban Lasix in all two-year-old graded and listed black-type races beginning in 2014.
The ban will extend to three-year olds in 2015, leading to Lasix's complete elimination from all black-type races in Kentucky by 2016.
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