The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will implement a ban on race-day medications as of April 19, 2019 for all three breeds of racehorses.
This will “prohibit the administration of medications, drugs and substances to any horse entered to race starting 24 hours prior to the post time of the first race of the day they are scheduled to race,” according to the directive issued March 30th. In addition, veterinarians are prohibited from having contact with a horse in the 24 hours prior to a race
This ban does not include the administration of Furosemide (Lasix) for horses enrolled in the Ontario
Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (E.I.P.H.) Program. It also does not include normal non-medicated feedstuffs, water, non-medicated shampoos and non-medicated topical applications.
Many horse people, however, are concerned that the ban also precludes therapeutic treatments such a giving a horse electrolytes for hydration, or vitamins such as B1 to help settle a horse before a race. These are usually administered by a trainer’s veterinarian on race-day, but now will not be allowed after 1:00 p.m. the day before.
“Things like therapeutic vitamins such as B1 or calcium are only “settlers” so that the horse does not get rattled and cause injury to themselves or their handlers on race-day from the barn to the track,” said trainer Phil Gracey, who also gallops all his own horses. “These aren’t things to make the horses run any faster.”
“Electrolytes are important to keep your horse hydrated and while you can give it to them in their feed, you can’t give them the amount they need on race day; they won’t eat the amount they need and you don’t want to be giving them a big meal anyway.”
Catherine Day Phillips, trainer of the 2018 Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon, a filly who had trouble with very hot days on occasion, agrees that giving a horse electrolytes on race day is important for the health of the horse.
“In the hot weather being able to give the horse electrolytes is important for them to handle it,” said Day Phillips. “It is important to a lot of barns and to our barn.”
Day Phillips also had some concern about the 24 hour cut off time in which a vet is not allowed in the barn of a horse that is racing.
“Sometimes you will look at your horse on race day and you think ‘Oh, is he moving well?’ and that is when you want you might want your own vet to come in and look at him jog.”
Steven Chircop, who races his horses in the U.S. during the winter and Woodbine during its April to December season, says he has “mixed emotions” about the ban.
“There are [therapeutic] things you can give a horse on race-day to help those who get a bit antsy and you want to get them to settle. Calcium given to a horse that runs on Lasix can help with that.”
The AGCO notes that 28 out of 33 States in the U.S. with pari-mutuel wagering have implemented a similar race-day medication ban.
“This is where the racing industry is headed and that is fair,” said Day Phillips. “We are going to have to adapt a little but we also have to make racing look a lot better.”
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