BC to phase out raceday meds; No Lasix for '12 Juvenile events

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

They can make whatever restrictive rules they want but in some states you HAVE to run on lasix if you have been running on it and need a vet reason to come off of it. Not to mention that there may be trouble for those who do go ahead and take off lasix as they will have to "re-qualify" for Lasix afterwards meaning 30 days and if they happen to be unfortunate to bleed after a race out of their nose again they would be subject to 90 days and with another incident be barred.

Can't imagine that'd be a problem for Euros,etc. making their first and only start of the year in the US. I'm sure if someone wants to run sans lasix in the BC, there are ways to get vet approval, although who wants the Life At Ten-esque drama of a horse bleeding badly who shouldn't have been allowed to try to race w/o lasix in the first place. This sounds like an absolute mess of an untangling of regulations, and then there's the prospect of many bloody noses.

Forgive me, but I'm not clear on the process and policies around going on/off lasix in the various jurisdictions. About the re-qualifying, what's involved? Do you mean they have to run again in 30 days on lasix or not run for 30 days before going back on, or what? If it's the latter, many of the BC horses are either leaving the country, retiring (well, hopefully not the juveniles), or are done for the year. I imagine whatever the drug policy situation, someone's gonna fall into the 'sucks to be you' group where the BC's decided it's just not a big enough problem to work around, and it's no skin off their nose.