Proposed horse racing law puts politics over science when it comes to race day medication

I’m concerned as an owner, breeder, and most importantly, racetrack veterinarian when the political environment overrules science.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced this week he plans to introduce a new bill titled, the “Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act,” in September. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Lexington) said that he and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) will introduce mirror legislation in the House. While the text of the bill has yet to be released, it was announced that a new federal bureaucracy will oversee horse racing nationwide. One glaring piece of information left out of the announcement was the new bureaucracy’s plans for an important, protective medication, furosemide, commonly named Lasix. I’m concerned that Senator McConnell has not listened to the science, and I’m convinced there will be additional horse racing injuries, even deaths, if this medication is banned from race day use.

Lasix mitigates the effects of Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH), documented in elite equine athletes. The protective effects of Lasix have been known for over 50 years, and definitively proven by a 2009 South African study. Currently, Lasix is the only drug proven to have beneficial effects for this widespread disease.

Advocates of banning or phasing out Lasix have confused its use with musculoskeletal injuries, and Senator McConnell should not do the same. There’s no evidence that links Lasix to the weakening of bones. Lasix is simply a diuretic with important effects in the lung. Science tells us that withholding Lasix will result in more disease and injury because blood will fill the lungs of racehorses, making it harder to breathe, causing discomfort, infection, and lung damage.

Another claim made by advocates of the bill contends that Lasix interferes with post-race drug testing because of urine dilution. Maybe this claim was valid 40 years ago, but today, it’s ridiculous, considering the extreme sensitivity of testing methods. That assertion is outdated and ignorant.

Some advocates of the misguided bill proclaim Lasix can be given to racehorses 24 hours before the race with restricted water intake rather than on race day. But science tells us the best time to administer Lasix for those that suffer from EIPH is four hours before the race. A recent study confirmed 4-hour treatment is superior to 24-hour treatment.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission recently made the decision to ban the use of Lasix on race day for 2-year-olds and all stakes races in 2021. This decision is going to have detrimental consequences, and it most certainly will have a negative impact on the health and welfare of equine athletes. Based on science, increased numbers of horses will bleed into in their lungs, causing irreparable damage at an early point in life. These actions are clear examples of legislating without science-based recommendations.

If Senator McConnell truly cares for the health of racehorses and the survival of horse racing in Kentucky, he should consider an independent, peer-reviewed, U.S.-based, large-scale study on Lasix and its effects prior to implementing any ban on race day Lasix.

Andy Roberts is an equine veterinarian and breeder in Lexington, a member of the Kentucky Racing Commission Equine Drug Research Council since 2008 and is past president of the Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners.

This story was originally published September 17, 2020 at 1:40 PM.