Association of Racing Commissioners International proposes stringent penalties for deliberate doping

The Association of Racing Commissioners International has circulated a draft proposal of rules that would sharply increase the penalties for drug violations that are considered deliberate attempts to administer a performance-enhancing substance or one that would put a horse’s welfare at risk.

In part, the draft proposal calls for a minimum two- to five-year suspension for a violation considered “doping or equine endangerment,” along with a minimum $50,000 fine. Those penalties are roughly double the minimums for existing Class A violations, which are substances that have high potential to impact a horse’s performance and no therapeutic value. A second violation in the category would lead to automatic license revocation, the RCI said.

The RCI has initially placed 62 substances in the new category, according to a list provided by the organization. Hundreds of other drugs have been classified as part of the same category, but with lower penalties if it is determined that the drugs were administered as the result of “mismanagement” rather than a deliberate doping attempt.

The proposal, which was developed by a committee set up in 2018, has been posted to the RCI’s website and is being circulated among racing commissions for review and comment, according to the RCI. The organization is an umbrella group for state racing commissions, and part of its function is to develop model rules for racing jurisdictions.

The draft proposal also calls for a $25,000 fine to any owner whose horses are sanctioned for a doping or equine endangerment violation twice in any jurisdiction. A third offense would require a 30-day suspension for the owner, the RCI said.

Also part of the proposed rules are a $500 fine for a first-time violation of “failure to keep or report required treatment records.” A second offense would require a $2,500 fine, and a third offense would require a $5,000 fine and a referral to the state racing commission for license review.

The RCI is circulating the rules at a time when racing has come under pressure to strengthen its rules and penalties due to the perception that the sport is too tolerant of medication abuse. That view has been advanced in the wake of a spate of horse deaths this winter at Santa Anita Park that has led to widespread criticism of the racing industry, though the deaths have not been linked to medication policies.