CTT, TOC seek to delay start of new California medication rules

ARCADIA, Calif. – Officials with the Thoroughbred Owners of California and California Thoroughbred Trainers associations are seeking a delay to the implementation of strict new rules that will greatly reduce the medications horses can be administered after entries are taken for races in California.

The new rules, which are in effect at all state racetracks, will eliminate the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, phenylbutazone, flunixin, ketoprofen, electrolyte solutions, and amino acid solutions after a horse has been entered.

According to the new rules, horses can only be given hay, oats and water from entries to post time, with a few exceptions for ulcer medications, injectable vitamins, and the administration of the anti-bleeder medication Lasix on race day.

The issue was the subject of a conference call between officials from racetracks, horsemen’s organizations, and the racing board on Saturday. Further discussions are expected early this week.

Officials with the CTT and TOC have asked for a delay so trainers can better understand the rules as it pertains to managing a horse’s diet and wellbeing between the time entries are taken and race day.

The Thursday program at Golden Gate Fields and Friday programs at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita will be the first day under the new rules at each respective racetrack.

“There are so many loopholes and scenarios you can think of 24 or 48 hours before a race,” said Eoin Harty, the president of the CTT. “A grace period of 30 days would be the right thing for the industry.”

Harty cited sweet feed and vitamins supplements in tablet form as two things given to horses that should not be banned under the new rules.

Rick Arthur, California’s equine medical director, said discussions this week could clarify how trainers should operate.

“There is a misinterpretation and some things need to be clarified,” Arthur said. “There is a lot of misunderstanding. Hopefully we can get some clarity out to horsemen.”

Racing board executive director Rick Baedeker said a delay to implementing the rules may not occur.

“We’re bound by legalities and we have to be careful,” he said on Sunday. “A big part of this is guys feel like it’s piling on and it’s understandable and unfortunate. The trainers are bending over backward to make sure they are compliant. This was well-intentioned, but had unintended consequences.”

The rule changes were approved by the board at its January meeting in Sacramento, and were approved late Thursday after legal review by state officials.

“The frustrating aspect of it for me, even though it was publicly noticed at two meetings, is that people are surprised that it is there,” Arthur said.

A memo from the racing board was electronically disseminated to trainers Thursday evening, leading to confusion about when the rules would take effect.

Santa Anita has altered its entry schedule to accommodate horsemen. The track has moved entries for Friday racing from Sunday to Tuesday to narrow the time between the day entries are drawn and races are run.

Entries for Saturdays are taken on Wednesdays, while entries for Sundays are taken on Thursdays.

The rule change states that a horse is considered entered to race on the midnight after entries are completed. For example, a horse entered to race on a Tuesday morning for races on Friday cannot be administered the aforementioned medications after midnight Wednesday.

Nick Alexander, the chairman of the TOC, called for a delay to the start of the new rules “until we get it right.”

“It’s a mess,” he said. “The last thing we need is another screwy change to infuriate owners and trainers and encourage people to leave the state,” he said. “We need calm. We need reliability.”

The rule changes are part of a year-long trend in the state to reduce medications and create greater oversight of the daily training and racing of horses followed a series of fatalities at Santa Anita in early 2019. Horsemen have expressed frustration at the ongoing changes.

The track is running three days a week this year compared to four in past years because of a reduction in race-ready horses.

At Santa Anita, field size have declined this year. Through Saturday, the 32nd day of the meeting, the track had run 270 races averaging 7.28 runners per race. At a similar time last year, the track had run 360 races on 39 days with an average of 7.42 runners per race.

“I am sympathetic to horsemen,” Arthur said. “They have taken the brunt of regulatory changes that have taken place since the trouble we had last year.”