BC blood tests all negative

All horses entered in the Breeders' Cup who were selected for random prerace testing for banned blood-enhancing drugs tested negative, Breeders' Cup officials said Wednesday.

Breeders' Cup collected blood samples from the horses on Oct. 15, the day that pre-entries were taken. The samples were taken from horses who were on the grounds at Monmouth Park, the location of this year's Breeders' Cup, and also at other racetracks and training centers in the United States and overseas.

Blood-enhancing drugs such as erythropoietin and darbepoietin stimulate the production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, and are thought to increase a horse's stamina. This was the first year that Breeders' Cup tested horses before the races for blood-enhancing drugs.

Breeders' Cup will also draw blood from horses up to 45 minutes before a race to test for illegal concoctions of baking soda and electrolytes that can be administered through a tube into a horse's stomach.