The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association is lining up allies
and pressing its effort to get state racing commissions to ban the
race-day use of the anti-bleeding medication furosemide in 2-year-old
races next year, but there are significant hurdles.
TOBA has already begun discussing the proposal with racing
commissions in the five states where graded stakes for 2-year-olds are
held. Lined up behind TOBA, at least philosophically, are the Jockey
Club, the Breeders’ Cup, and the Stronach Group, the private company
that owns Santa Anita in California and Gulfstream in Florida, among
other tracks.
Horsemen’s groups remain united in opposition to the proposal. The
horsemen’s position will complicate efforts to pass rules that would be
in effect for 2012 even when factoring in the additional time afforded
by the 2-year-old racing calendar, which does not start until April.
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