The race-day administration of the diuretic Lasix will continue to be allowed for horses 3 years old and older running in non-graded stakes races following a much anticipated vote by the board of directors of the Horseracing Safety and Integrity Authority on April 24 that was announced on Tuesday morning. The vote is a victory for organizations, particularly horsemen’s groups, that believe the drug is effective in mitigating bleeding in the lungs and allows horses to make more starts per year and prolong racing careers. Conversely, it is a setback for those who believe race-day Lasix use has put U.S. racing on an island internationally and damages public perception of the sport. The impact of the vote is to retain the “status quo” of the regulatory treatment of race-day Lasix, which is currently banned in races for 2-year-olds and in graded stakes races under waivers granted to states that expire on May 22. Lasix is an industry term for the precise drug name, furosemide, which is now marketed under the brand name Salix. In a statement released after the announcement, the president of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association credited HISA’s board for a “thoughtful and measured decision” regarding a “widely accepted therapeutic tool.” “Horsemen across the country are encouraged that the authority acknowledged both the science and the lived experience of horsemen in concluding that furosemide is not supported as a performance-enhancing substance,” said Dr. Doug Daniels, an equine veterinarian who was re-elected as the National HBPA’s president in 2024. “This outcome reflects the importance of open dialogue and the willingness to listen to those on the ground who are directly responsible for the health and safety of the horse.” Under HISA’s enabling legislation, HISA was required to fund studies examining the impact of race-day Lasix use in advance of a May 22, 2026, deadline to vote on whether a prohibition should go into effect. The plain language of the statute required a unanimous vote of the board to adopt any other policy than an outright prohibition. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. In its announcement, HISA said that the board unanimously voted to approve declarations that a “modification” of the statutory language calling for a prohibition was “warranted,” that is it was “in the best interest of horse racing,” and that the drug has “no performance-enhancing effect on individual horses.” The board also unanimously voted to approve language that “the public confidence in the integrity and safety of racing would not be adversely affected” by continuing to allow race-day administrations, according to HISA. Race-day Lasix use has been a controversial subject in racing for decades. Several scientific studies completed over the past 20 years have strongly indicated that the drug is effective in mitigating bleeding in the lungs, but those studies have also been inconclusive on the question of whether the drug is a performance enhancer or allows horses to run to the best of their abilities. The use of Lasix on race day has been harshly criticized by other major racing jurisdictions worldwide. Both foreign and domestic critics of the practice contend that it opens up U.S. racing to attacks from detractors of the sport at a time when animal welfare concerns are becoming increasingly potent political topics. Since HISA began regulating the sport, all major racing jurisdictions have received waivers to continue to allow the race-day use of Lasix in races other than graded stakes races and those for 2-year-old horses. The vast majority of horses in those races receive race-day administrations of the drug, typically five or six hours prior to a race, administered by a regulatory veterinarian. HISA funded three scientific studies in early 2024 that examined the relationship between repeated Lasix use and a horse’s health, including long-term racing performance, the impacts of repeated Lasix use on several metabolic functions and bone density, and whether horses that received regular race-day administrations of the drug had longer careers than those who did not. Following the approval of the studies, HISA set up a Furosemide Advisory Committee (FAC) to assess the studies and conduct an industry-wide review of furosemide policies. Earlier this year, the FAC submitted a 150-page report to the HISA board outlining its review that also included its recommendations. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  According to the report, the FAC concluded that exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage was an endemic phenomenon in horses and that “repeated episodes” of bleeding in the lungs “can cause irreversible pathologic changes in the lungs.” The FAC further concluded that Lasix was the only FDA approved drug that “has been shown to decrease the incidence and severity” of bleeding in the lungs, and “that regular administration of furosemide to horses in appropriate doses and on a weekly schedule does not cause harm to the horse.” Notably, the committee concluded that “there is no scientific evidence that supports the current ban” on race-day administration to 2-year-olds, and it recommended that the ban be lifted. At the same time, the committee recommended that the ban on race-day use prior to graded stakes be maintained because of impacts on “commercial breeding potential.” (It is widely believed that bleeding is strongly correlated to genetics.) In its own analysis, the HISA board accepted the FAC’s conclusions and decided that a full prohibition on race-day Lasix would have significant impacts on the racing population, citing numerous submissions from industry constituents arguing in favor of continued race-day use of the drug. “A prohibition on race-day furosemide could result in more horses being retired over a relatively short period, placing additional pressure on an aftercare industry that is already operating with limited resources and funding,” the board wrote. “Further, this could also lead to fewer horses in racing, smaller field sizes, and cancellation or consolidation of races due to insufficient entries. Potential downstream consequences of this include reduced number of mares bred, reduced wagering handle, diminished fan engagement, and increased economic pressure on racetracks and other industry participants.” :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports However, the board also said that it found the current research on the long-term impact of regular furosemide use on 2-year-olds to be inconclusive, and it stated that it supported more research on use in juveniles while maintaining the current prohibition because the studies did not prove that 2-year-olds were being harmed by the prohibition. “Equine safety and welfare are of the utmost importance and must be the central focus in answering this question,” the board wrote. “Based on the FAC report, there is no compelling evidence that indicates that the existing prohibition on furosemide for 2-year-old horses is detrimental to their career.” The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association released a statement on Tuesday supporting the decision to “maintain” the current rules while also calling on the HISA board to rescind the 2-year-old ban, noting the large number of races on the New York Racing Association circuit restricted to New York-bred juveniles. “The elimination of Lasix is very detrimental to the field size and breeding programs all over the country,” the statement said. “We are at a time where we need to take a close examination of our policies to make strategic changes to unlock the full potential of our great industry.”. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? 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