OHAAT invites you to join in our journey to provide resources to those who rescue horses, to educate the public about responsible equine ownership, and teach people to recognize and report neglect/abuse in order to save horses, One Horse At A Time.

by **DoxieLover** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:12 am

LITTLE BY LITTLE CHANGES ARE COMING.

Toe Grab Ban Approved by Ky. Commission
By Ron Mitchell
Updated: Monday July 14, 5:50 PM
Posted: Monday July 14, 5:44 PM
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission July 14 unanimously approved regulations that would prohibit the use of horseshoes with toe grabs on front feet of horses racing in the state.

The regulation, which still must go through a public comment period and be approved by an interim legislative committee, was recommended by the commission’s health and safety committee. It bans toe grabs in excess of two millimeters.

During discussion of the dangers posed by toe grabs, which effectively improve traction and keep horses’ hooves from sliding when they contact the racing surface, retired jockey Chris McCarron noted that the shoes “are the single biggest reason why horses fall when they clip heels.”

Dr. Foster Northrop, a member of the commission and an equine veterinarian, said toe grabs lead to cannon bone injuries. Northrup said he has, “tried to get my clients to quit using them for years.”

by **Admin** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:47 am

This is awesome!

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:53 am

another positive sign!

by **scoobysmom** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:54 am

Have never heard of toe grabs, but it doesn't sound pleasant.

This is great news, hope it passes all the way!

by **DoxieLover** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:56 pm

MORE CHANGES

A subcommittee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has unanimously recommended that anabolic steroids be banned in horse racing in the state.

“The use of anabolic androgenic steroids shall be banned in horses competing in pari-mutuel racing sporting events in the commonwealth of Kentucky,” said the position statement approved July 16 by the Subcommittee on Anabolic Steroids.

The panel is a subcommittee of the Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council and the state racing commission. The drug research council, which is charged with making drug and medication recommendations to the commission, is tentatively scheduled to meet Aug. 11, at which time it will consider the subcommittee’s recommendation.

According to the position statement, which does not provide specific threshold levels of anabolic steroids that can be present in a post-race test before a positive is called, “either or both of the following in a post-race biological sample shall constitute an infraction: the detection of exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids and/or their metabolites; and the detection of endogenous anabolic steroids whereby the concentration of the substance(s), its metabolites, markers, and/or any relevant ratio(s) deviates from established naturally occurring physical levels."

Dr. Jim Smith, chairman of the subcommittee, said it is hoped the recommendation will be used by the drug research council and the full commission to come up with a regulation that is consistent with a national policies being adopted by racing jurisdictions in the United States.

“I think uniformity is very important,” Smith said. “We have told all of the public, not just the betting public, that the horse industry is anxious to put this anabolic steroids problem behind us, and this is a good, effective step. I am proud of the steps we are taking. We are, in effect, banning it from horses in racing. This is a philosophic statement that says we want to get rid of anabolic steroids.”

Smith said the small allowable levels--trace amounts--of steroids present in post-race tests recognize the possible presence of the drug due to inadvertent contamination. “We don’t want to penalize an innocent person, but want to get to anyone trying to get around the regulation,” Smith said.

Though the recommendation was unanimous, Smith said there was considerable discussion among subcommittee members during their meetings.

“In general principle, we have all been on the same page,” Smith said. “We have disagreements on minor things, but never on major things. We just wanted to be sure we had the wording right so it would be done to protect the industry, to protect the horse, and to protect the public.”

The policy includes supportive statements that articulate the subcommittee’s belief that anabolic steroids in some situations have positive uses in horses, but should not be used for horses in competition.

“What we came out with today is a philosophical statement that bridged a number of levels within the industry of practicing veterinarians, regulatory veterinarians,” said Dr. Mary Scollay, the KHRC equine medical director who served on the subcommittee.

The policy could still undergo changes as it is considered by the drug research council and the commission. “There may be a number of changes,” Smith said of the additional process. “We would hope not. We like it.”

Dr. Jerry Yon, the commission member who chairs the drug research council, said he hopes the group will approve an anabolic steroid policy at the Aug. 11 meeting. However, if there substantial concerns, the policy will be not pushed through, but will continue to be reviewed.

“We’re going to work with all of the different people who have something to bring to the table to develop a consensus," Yon said. "Yes, I’d like to see a recommendation. We’re on a fast track, but we want it done right. If we hit a glitch where we’re lacking science or consensus, we may have to push the schedule back a month but it will still be our top priority.”

The Bloodhorse.com

by **IMustBeCrazy** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:02 pm

Yea! Another drop of water to erode that mountain! Thanks for finding that.

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:09 pm

wonderful!

by **Admin** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:09 pm

This is very good news.

by **DoxieLover** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:06 pm

Forum: 'Other Side' of Equine Welfare

Date Posted: July 21, 2008
Last Updated: July 23, 2008

Jay Hickey recalled that in 1982, legislation to regulate parts of the horseracing industry was circulated in the halls of Congress. The bill, which had the not-so-enticing name of the “Corrupt Horseracing Practices Act,” dealt with prohibited drugs, pre-race testing, and penalties for offenders.

Hickey, president of the American Horse Council, noted the legislation went nowhere. Now, 26 years later, more racing-related legislation could be in the works after a congressional subcommittee hearing that basically slammed the industry.

“The discussion (at the June 19 congressional hearing) was not completely rational,” Hickey said. “There have been a bunch of things done that Congress may not be paying attention to. We do not want to get Congress involved in this. When you start down the road with Congress, there’s always somebody that wants to add this or that.”

Hickey was among the speakers during a July 18 equine welfare and safety forum during the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association summer convention in Hershey, Pa. The two-hour session, horsemen noted, gave those who weren’t asked to testify before Congress a chance to offer their views on a topic now dominating the industry.

Ed Bowen, president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, urged the National HBPA and its affiliates to be “agents of change rather than a roadblock” to ongoing efforts to implement model rules around the country. The Grayson-Jockey Club is involved in the ongoing Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summits.

Ed Martin, president of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, which supplied information to the congressional subcommittee, said it was odd he wasn’t asked to testify. He suggested a conclusion was reached before the hearing, which stemmed from the high-profile breakdown of the filly Eight Belles just after the May 3 Kentucky Derby (gr. I).

“It’s amazing what has happened,” Martin said. “To listen to that hearing, you’d think the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium or the Grayson-Jockey Club process didn’t exist. We are concerned (the federal government) is going to take a situation and make it worse. There already are limited resources to fund state racing commissions—the funding crisis is a real one.”

Martin said lawmakers’ concerns can be alleviated, and uniformity of regulations achieved, in three ways: adoption of model rules, use of an interstate compact states would join, and lobbying of regulators to act quickly.

National Thoroughbred Racing Association president Alex Waldrop said the last thing the industry needs is another congressional hearing; members of Congress July 19 indicated that’s a possibility. But he also said the status quo isn’t an option, so the NTRA is formulating a “strategic plan” on equine welfare and safety industry stakeholders will be asked to sign.

“There have been more self-inflicted wounds in this in industry in the last two months—we need more discussion like this,” Waldrop said. “We don’t need another hearing. There is no other side of the story in Washington, D.C.”

Dr. Scot Palmer, who owns the New Jersey Equine Clinic and is a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, outlined the current situation by noting catastrophic breakdowns aren’t new to horse racing. He said there are so many reasons for breakdowns—racing surfaces, conditioning, year-round schedules, medication, shoes, breeding horses for speed, not to mention unknown variables--that it’s a disservice to choose one and disregard other evidence.

Palmer said the manner in which 2-year-olds are prepared for auction is a problem that should be addressed by the industry. He said a horse that won’t be sold gets more time to prepare for its racing career, and 2-year-olds at auction could be helped if pre-sale breezes were eliminated.

“We need a core-value system that puts the welfare and safety of the horse uppermost,” Palmer said. “We need to do it in a very public way to blunt criticism. We need evidence-based information, not political decisions. We need courage to accept personal responsibility. We need to be in it for the long haul.”

Palmer also suggested a strategic plan for Thoroughbred racing. “If we don’t have the welfare and safety of the racehorse in our mission statement, we’re SOL,” he said.

Keeneland president Nick Nicholson and Andrea Caraballo of Tapeta Footings discussed synthetic surfaces and their role in equine safety. They both noted maintenance of the surfaces is extremely important, as is honest dialogue.

“We need to continue to be very honest about how a synthetic (surface) performs,” Caraballo said.

“Not all synthetic tracks are created equal,” Nicholson said. “The differences are very important, as is not cutting corners in construction or material. There are cheaper ways to do this, but you will pay the cost. There is no doubt these tracks require substantially less maintenance, but maintenance is no less important—it’s just different.”

Nicholson said Keeneland, which installed Polytrack in 2006, did so because the old dirt surface “was not up to Keeneland standards.” He said there have been only five catastrophic breakdowns at Keeneland since the first Polytrack meet in the fall of 2006.

As for medication, Richard Abbott, a member of the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission, discussed the state’s regulation of anabolic steroids. He said horsemen’s groups—the Pennsylvania HBPA and Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association—were reluctant to move quickly on the rules that were in place April 1.

“I had a difficult time reconciling that with what was going on in the world at large,” Abbott said. “Frankly, we got very little but lip service from horsemen’s organizations. Horsemen began a campaign of misinformation. I could never understand the tin ear to which they listened to the debate.”

In Pennsylvania, research shows a decrease in the concentration of steroids in samples taken from Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. “The sky didn’t fall,” Abbott said. “We had a few positive tests, but the majority of horses are racing without Winstrol and Equipoise and doing fine.”

The comments didn’t sit well with Pennsylvania horsemen. After the forum, Joe Santanna, president of the National HBPA and Pennsylvania HBPA, offered a rebuttal.

“I’m delighted we have a steroid policy in Pennsylvania,” Santanna said. “From my perspective, the horsemen worked hand-in-hand with the racing commission. At the time (the regulations) were finalized, there was overwhelming agreement…And the tin ear is my right ear.”

The National HBPA board of directors July 20 adopted a position paper on equine welfare and safety and endorsed creation of the National HBPA Model Rules Working Group that will gather and analyze recommendations on national model rules, collect input from horsemen, work with the RCI on model rules, help guide rules through the approval process, and support local and state regulatory efforts.

Members of the working group are Dave Basler (Ohio HBPA), Remi Bellocq (National HBPA), Mary Ann O’Connell (Washington HBPA), Marty Maline (Kentucky HBPA), Doug McSwain (National HBPA), Frank Petramalo Virginia HBPA), and Kent Stirling (Florida HBPA).

“The National HBPA board believes that the racing industry is still the best source for finding ways to improve and regulate welfare and safety in racing,” the position paper states.

In an op-ed piece submitted July 14 to The Blood-Horse and other publications, U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky said the "voices of those who testified rang loud and clear across the country." Whitfield is ranking member of the congressional subcommittee that conducted the June 19 hearing.

Whitfield said four issues were broached: horses "far too often" are given performance-enhancing drugs and pain-killers; there is lack of uniformity in drug rules and data collection; there are too many drug laboratories in the United States and inadequate funding for testing; and there is no entity with the power of enforcement.

Whitfield cited a newspaper poll that found 38% of respondents want to ban horse racing.

"I do not want to see that happen and do not believe it will," Whitfield said. "I do, however, strongly believe that Congress can help the industry solve its problems and do so without creating an expensive new federal agency. Congress can help because it can adopt minimum standards or guidelines for excellence, control, and uniformity among the 38 racing jurisdictions.

"Just as important, Congress can enforce the minimum standards through the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978. The industry came to Congress in 1978 and asked the federal government to become involved in horse racing by adopting legislation to allow the simulcast signal across state lines without interference or obstacles. Congress obliged and did not ask anything from the industry.

"Today, simulcasting provides 85% of the revenue for horse racing, but the industry has not been able to solve the serious issues it faces. It is time for action. I propose that Congress set minimum standards in the (IHA) and require state racing authorities to adopt those standards to continue receiving the benefits of simulcasting."

Whitfield last year proposed legislation that would amend the IHA to allow for funding for health and welfare benefits for jockeys and backstretch workers.

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:21 pm

Nicholson said Keeneland, which installed Polytrack in 2006, did so because the old dirt surface “was not up to Keeneland standards.” He said there have been only five catastrophic breakdowns at Keeneland since the first Polytrack meet in the fall of 2006.

This is still a lot - only one and a half racing seasons since the new surface.....and there have been 5 catastrophic breakdowns? Keeneland's racing season is approximately 2 weeks in the spring and fall....

by **Admin** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:54 pm

Going beyond the recommendations of a national thoroughbred safety committee, two Kentucky tracks -- Keeneland Race Course in Lexington and Turfway Park in Florence -- are banning toe grabs on front and rear horseshoes.

The policy, which allows only shoes that are essentially flat, will be effective at both tracks Sept. 1. Keeneland co-owns Turfway.

Toe grabs are raised areas that extend from the front of the shoe to improve traction, similar to cleats on an athlete's shoe.

The Jockey Club's safety committee, formed following the death of Eight Belles after her second-place finish in the May 3 Kentucky Derby, recommended banning the grabs on front shoes.

Research has shown the grabs on front shoes can contribute to stress on horses' legs.

Whether they cause injuries in hind legs is not proven. But Keeneland Racing Director Rogers Beasley said the tracks addressed rear shoes for two reasons: safety and a lack of need.

Anecdotal evidence on synthetic surfaces such as the Polytracks at Keeneland and Turfway indicates the toe grabs can lead to rear-leg problems such as tissue injuries, Beasley said.

He said Keeneland officials have theorized that there is a connection between the rear-leg injuries and the shoeing, but they have no proof.

"We just think with this particular surface it's even safer to not have it on hind shoes," Beasley said.

He also said the toe grabs apparently aren't needed for traction with rear shoes on synthetics in the same way they are on dirt.

Many trainers stabled at Keeneland already conform to the new policy, Beasley said, adding that "they're very comfortable with it."

The policy will apply to training and racing on Polytrack surfaces at both tracks and on Keeneland's turf course.

The new policy will allow some shoes that have a 2-millimeter front lip, called a wear plate.

Gregory A. Hall can be reached at (502) 582-4087.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbc ... 002/SPORTS

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:31 am

From this mornings Herald Leader

Steroids, toe grabs banned from all graded stakes
By Janet Patton
jpatton1@herald-leader.com

A week after the Breeders' Cup, Thoroughbred racing's championships, effectively banned steroids from its affiliated races, another industry group has announced a sweeping change that will take things a step further.

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association will force states with all the biggest races to adopt uniform bans on steroids and ”toe grabs,“ two of the most controversial racing issues of the year.

The states also will have to test for ”milkshaking,“ the outlawed practice of force-feeding horses alkalinizing agents such as baking soda to offset the lactic acid that builds up in muscles during races.

TOBA announced Friday that it will require all graded stakes races, which include the most important events of the year, to be run in states that have adopted, at a minimum, model rules on anabolic steroids and horseshoes with front toe grabs.

Racetracks could also implement the measures through ”house rules,“ although that is a much more gray area because the tracks do not have regulatory authority over licenses.

Races will lose graded eligibility if the state or the track does not follow rules modeled on those put forth by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

A race's grade is the primary way the company is ranked. Winning Grade I races mean a horse has faced the best, won the most money, and is worth the most in the breeding shed.

Kentucky, which has many Grade I, II, and III races, is drafting a ban on steroids, and last month the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted to limit toe grabs to 2 millimeters or less.

The Kentucky Derby, the state's most famous Grade I race, was won this year by Big Brown, who raced on steroids, according to his trainer. The second-place finisher, Eight Belles, was euthanized on the track when she broke both front legs shortly after the finish. Eight Belles was wearing toe grabs.

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by **Admin** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:17 am

Excellent news! It's moving fast. I think maybe they finally realize there will not be a "racing" profession if they continue as they have been.

by **scoobysmom** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:58 am

This is wonderful news!

by **Beth** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:04 pm

Finally

by **Madge** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:39 pm

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by **maryt** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:49 pm

Like Penny says - one drop of water!!!!!

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:10 am

Another Drop of Water....

Jockey Club calls for upgraded lab system for horse testing
By Janet Patton
jpatton1@herald-leader.com

SKIP DICKSTEIN
According to Stuart S. Janney III, "Medication issues continue to haunt this industry and they are and will continue to be a priority for this committee."

To further clean up Thoroughbred racing's act and image, a key panel has recommended that states and racetracks move toward a top-level system of labs for equine drug testing.

The Thoroughbred Safety Committee also urged the industry to adopt uniform rules on license suspensions, collection of injury data, and checking for a kind of cheating called “milkshaking.”

The four new recommendations from the committee came at The Jockey Club's annual roundtable discussion in New York on Sunday.

“Medication issues continue to haunt this industry and they are and will continue to be a priority for this committee, as evidenced by several of today's recommendations,” panel chairman Stuart S. Janney III said in a statement. “We once again vigorously encourage the respective industry organizations to act on these recommendations in a timely manner.”

The safety committee will continue to meet, and more recommendations are likely. They plan to continue to look at such topics as racing surfaces; medication, particularly the anti-bleeder drug known commonly as Lasix; breeding trends; field size, particularly in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby; and treatment of retired racehorses.

Nick Nicholson, president of Keeneland, said from Saratoga on Sunday that Keeneland management will support better labs.

“We've got to do that. It's the appropriate scientific step and it's the direction we need to go in,” Nicholson said.

Kevin Flanery, Churchill Downs spokesman, said Sunday that testing and integrity remain important issues for racing and Churchill is concerned with “how to best conduct drug testing and the proper forum for this.”

The committee called for creating a task force to “develop a business plan for the most efficient and cost-effective infrastructure for equine drug testing and research,” according to the release.

The Jockey Club board voted Saturday to underwrite the cost of developing the business plan, which could lead to centralized, consistent testing of urine and blood taken from horses to test for illegal drugs or medication overages.

Because racing is regulated by states, each state contracts with individual labs, using different standards of testing, often dependant upon what states can pay. About $30 million is spent annually on equine drug testing, but the costs vary widely from state to state.

The safety committee called for developing strict equine drug testing lab standards; creating a template “request for proposal” for states to use; and developing a facility to store frozen samples for future analysis.

Eventually, this could lead to pooling resources in regional labs that would all test to the same levels.

The safety committee, formed May 8 after the death in the Kentucky Derby of second-place finisher Eight Belles and the public outcry over Derby winner Big Brown's legal use of steroids, has previously recommended banning anabolic steroids and toe grabs, which Eight Belles was wearing, and reforming the use of whips.

Those recommendations are bearing fruit, as major industry players such as the Breeders' Cup and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association say they will require tracks to play by those rules for future races. Kentucky has passed a 2-millimeter limit on toe grabs and is scheduled to take up a recommended steroid ban later this month.

“If the Eight Belles tragedy makes us all more cooperative, less inward-looking, more proactive and more sensitive to how our sport is perceived by others, then Eight Belles may be viewed in years to come as one of the most important horses ever to step on a racetrack,” Janney said in prepared remarks.

The safety committee on Sunday also called for tightening the testing for “milkshaking,” in which horses are force-fed bicarbonate and other alkalinization agents to help them offset the lactic acid that builds up in muscles during a race.

Milkshaking is illegal in Kentucky, as in most states, but the safety committee found that testing was not uniform, if it was done at all.

“The Thoroughbred Safety Committee strongly encourages all state racing commissions to publish the TCO2 (total carbon dioxide) levels of each horse tested to ensure the public that testing is being conducted and participants are below the regulatory thresholds,” committee members said in the release.

Just as testing is not necessarily the same from state to state, enforcement of penalties varies as well.

The safety committee recommended that the industry come up with and incorporate rules “to keep suspended trainers from participating in the training of racehorses and/or benefiting financially or otherwise from said training,” according to the release. The proposed rule would attempt to stop the practice of allowing a suspended trainer's horses to run in the name of an assistant, friend or family member.

The Jockey Club already had announced that it has begun an injury database, and during the 2007-08 pilot year, 48 racetracks participated to some degree. Now, that participation needs to become widespread and mandatory to be of real use.

The safety committee recommended that reporting to the system be made a condition of licensing for racetracks, for training facilities, and for participants such as trainers, jockeys, exercise riders, farriers, grooms, vets and others.

The committee also recommended that racing authorities require and pay for pre-race and post-race exams, as well as post-mortems for all horses that die on the grounds of licensed tracks or training centers.

See the recommendations at www.jockeyclub.com/tsc.asp

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Reach Janet Patton at jpatton1@herald-leader.com or (859) 231-3264 or (800) 950-6397, ext. 3264.

by **scoobysmom** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:05 pm

This is great news. Hopefully it will be "set in stone", so to speak. It is sad it has taken the deaths of innocent horses to wake people up.

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:57 pm

Just when you think you've heard/seen it all. For your astonishment:

http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/46714.htm

by **IMustBeCrazy** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:08 pm

So they couldn't tell she was preggers???? How stupid are these people?!

by **snowshoehair** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 7:08 pm

"According to Mouton, plans for Tiger Eyed are to resume training at the racetrack in early September."

Geez! Talk about squatting in the rice fields and then going right back to work!

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:17 am

Kentucky racing regulators vote to ban steroids
By Janet Patton
jpatton1@herald-leader.com

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted on Monday to ban anabolic steroids in racing. The new rule could take effect as soon as Gov. Steve Beshear signs an emergency regulation, perhaps as early as next week.

"I fully support the action taken today by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to ban anabolic steroids in Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing," Beshear said in a statement. "The vote reflects our shared commitment to strengthening horse racing in the commonwealth. As a result, I will deem this issue an emergency so that the regulation can go in effect as quickly as possible. I appreciate the commission's quick and aggressive action that will help preserve the integrity of Kentucky's signature industry."

The rule applies to both Thoroughbred and harness racehorses. Trainers will get a 90-day grace period as the rule goes into effect, although positive test results in the last 30 days of the grace period could count toward increased penalties in the future.

"We're doing away with anabolic steroids for the racing industry in Kentucky," said Robert M. Beck Jr., racing commission chairman. "I think it's very good news for the state."

The move comes as pressure has increased this summer across the country for greater action to ensure safety in horse racing, particularly following this year's controversial Kentucky Derby. Winner Big Brown apparently raced legally on steroids.

Several Thoroughbred racing industry groups have moved to ban steroids. The Breeders' Cup, Thoroughbred racing's championships, announced that beginning with this year's races in California, where a steroid ban has just taken effect, trainers could face a year's suspension for steroid use.

And the Breeders' Cup said it will not provide purse money for affiliated races in states or at tracks that don't ban steroids. The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association also announced a sweeping mandate against steroids in all graded stakes races.

"Anabolic steroids should not be present in a horse that is racing," said Lisa Underwood, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission executive director. "The betting public, the other trainers and owners should be confident that the race is being run on a level playing field. This rule will go a long way toward eliminating anabolic steroids from the sport."

The rule adopted Monday differs slightly from the version recommended Aug. 14 by the Equine Drug Research Council. The advisory panel had recommended making the use of anabolic steroids a Class A violation, which could merit up to a three-year license suspense on first offense.

But the KHRC amended the rule to match a model put forth by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, making it more likely to match other states as well.

The new rule makes use of steroids within 60 days of racing a Class B violation, punishable by up to a 60-day suspension on first offense. It had been considered a Class C violation, with a penalty of up to 10 days.

"I would say that's a very strict rule," Beck said of the new one.

The new rule also addressed concerns about horses shipping into Kentucky from out of state, where their present trainers might not have been aware of steroid administration.

Trainers will be required to notify racing authorities of steroid use and provide a clean test result from an approved lab, or to certify that the horse had not received steroids, or, if they can't certify that, accept responsibility regardless for a positive result.

Beck said he anticipated trainers who couldn't certify lack of steroid use would test horses themselves before racing them.

Kentucky Derby-winning trainer John Ward, a commission member, spoke out in favor of the new rule, pointing out it had widespread support in the industry. "For once, Kentucky is in the lead on this issue," Ward said.

Horses can still be given three anabolic steroids — boldenone, nandrolone or testosterone — for therapeutic reasons, but they couldn't race for at least 60 days afterwards.

The steroid Winstrol that Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow, used is no longer being manufactured legally.

The rule establishes limits for levels of the three legal steroids in a horse's system based on sex because intact male horses have naturally occurring levels of testosterone.

The new rule will create a need for greater testing. In claiming or selling races, in which horses can change hands, potential buyers will have to pay for the tests, which cost $125 apiece. Because the results will take at least two weeks, horses that test positive can be returned, at the buyer's discretion.

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Reach Janet Patton at jpatton1@herald-leader.com or (800) 950-6397, ext. 3264, or (859) 231-3264.

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:20 am

Posted on Mon, Aug. 25, 2008
reprint or license print email Digg it del.icio.us AIM Horse trainer's suspension extended
By Janet Patton
jpatton1@herald-leader.com
Horse trainer's suspension extended

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Monday voted to approve a settlement reached with Biancone that will result in his license remaining suspended until Nov. 1.

Biancone had served an agreed-upon six-month suspension from Nov. 1, 2007, through April 30, 2008, with a subsequent six-month prohibition on entering the non-public areas of racetracks.

The penalties were levied last year after prohibited medications, including cobra venom, were discovered in his barns at Keeneland. He was originally suspended Oct. 17, 2007, just before last year's Breeders' Cup championships, in which he had horses entered. One horse, the colt Nownownow, won the Juvenile Turf.

Monday's action comes after an investigation last spring. Biancone was suspected of training horses privately in violation of his original settlement.

Racing authority staff had followed and filmed Biancone at Hurricane Hall Farm in Lexington; with partners, Biancone purchased the farm's private training track.

According to a KHRC press release, Biancone maintains he complied with the original suspension and said "that agreeing to the settlement does not imply an admission of guilt."

Biancone was not present at the meeting Monday.

"All disciplinary agreements approved by the commission are expected to be carried out by all parties and Mr. Biancone is no exception," said KHRC executive director Lisa Underwood in the release. "The commission will take the actions necessary to make sure its orders are followed. These actions are taken to ensure the integrity of horse racing in Kentucky."

The suspension will mean Biancone cannot train horses anywhere, including in advance of this year's Breeders' Cup championships at Santa Anita Oct. 24-25.

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Reach Janet Patton at jpatton1@herald-leader.com or (800) 950-6397, ext. 3264 or (859) 231-3264.

by **Mr. Midnight's Mom** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:21 am

Posted on Tue, Aug. 26, 2008
Filly Eight Belles quietly laid to rest at Churchill
By Amy Wilson
awilson1@herald-leader.com

LOUISVILLE — The onlookers to her burial were few compared with the millions who witnessed her death.

They were a small crew of respectful landscapers, a reverent, sometimes tearful Kentucky Derby Museum staff and, from across the courtyard and behind a fence, the museum's resident Thoroughbred, Phantom on Tour, and Winston, the miniature horse.

At 2:25 p.m. yesterday, under an overcast sky, the cremated remains of Eight Belles, the 134th Kentucky Derby's second-fastest horse and its beguilingly beautiful filly, were buried in original Derby soil, next to a freshly planted Little Gem Magnolia, an evergreen tree expected to bloom twice a year. Now and again in May.

This interment was a brief, informal ceremony closed to the public. The public memorial service is scheduled for Sept. 7. That is when Eight Belles' owner Rick Porter will be part of a "celebration of her life and her accomplishments," says museum spokeswoman Wendy Treinen.

Eight Belles, the only filly to challenge the field of 3-year-old colts in the 2008 Kentucky Derby, nearly beat Big Brown across the finish line before breaking both ankles on the track. Irreparably damaged, she was euthanized before a stunned audience, the first death at the Derby in memory.

From behind the glass windows and French doors that lead to the Derby Cafe and Museum Gift Shop, other employees and a few museum guests watched as the hand-made walnut box — 22 inches long by 11 inches wide and 11 inches deep — was wheeled into the courtyard.

Joey Smith, a waitress at the café, politely walked up, one red rose in her hand, and quietly asked permission to throw it into the rectangular square of earth where the 60-pound box was to be placed.

No one objected.

Smith almost knelt, whispering, "This is breaking my heart all over again."

The rose was left in place when the box was placed in the ground by Jay Ferguson, curator of museum advancement.

A lot of what surrounds this memorial has the feeling of a gift. The magnolia that will shade Eight Belles is a gift from Duane Julian, a South Carolina man who never had been to a Derby and was simply taken by the beauty of Belle. The box that her cremated remains are in was hand-crafted by Lexingtonian Arnold Ashley. Many who won money on her that day contributed their winnings to her memorial fund.

But she is the horse whose death could be the ultimate gift to an entire industry.

Formed only a week after her death and bowing to public outcry, the Thoroughbred Safety Committee is investigating racing standards with new zeal.

She has as well encouraged discussion about the continued selective breeding of animals with such overly lightweight bones.

Eight Belles' resting place is one of the most convivial in the complex. She marks the spot where all museum tours start. Her courtyard position allows her to be part of weddings and receptions and Derby doings of all kind.

From her vantage point, she can see the resting places of Kentucky Derby winners Swaps (1955), Sunny's Halo (1983), Carry Back (1961) and Brokers Tip (1933) around the courtyard.

If someone will cut a small clearing through the 15 green velvet boxwood, she will soon be able to see Barbaro's resting place out front of the museum when he is similarly brought to rest where he belongs, to Churchill, next May.

News Researcher LuAnn Farrar contributed to this report.

by **IMustBeCrazy** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:45 am

I just hope that the "reforms" actually take place. They are moving in the right direction.

by **maryt** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:50 am

Poor Eight Belles

Everybody woke up long after the alarm went off

That was really a beautifully written article though, very nice tribute to a very special horse :!:

by **fxtrtrgrl** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:13 pm

That brought tears to my eyes.

The article is beautifully written, and I also was glad to learn the whereabouts of Barbaro's remains. Hopefully, people in the racing world will wake up before any more TB's are needlessly injured.

Lyn