Jockeys' Guild offers limited support of federal oversight legislation

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Jockeys’ Guild, which represents Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse riders in North America, has added its voice to the debate over federal legislation seeking to establish a national overseer of the sport’s medication policies, siding with the proposed bill in general terms but raising opposition to other specific aspects of the legislation.

In a statement released Wednesday prepared after “an extensive amount of time” discussing the bill and its ramifications, the Guild stated that the legislation “has many needed elements that will standardize and improve uniform regulation of equine medication in our industry,” and that in general the Guild “is supportive of a legislative solution.”

However, the statement then outlines several elements of the bill the Guild opposes, including a provision that would outlaw the use of the legal anti-bleeding medication furosemide on race day. That provision has become one of the most contentious aspects of the bill, dividing horsemen, who are generally supportive of raceday use of the drug, commonly called Lasix, and breeders, who are generally opposed.

“The Guild is opposed to the elimination of Lasix on race day because we believe it is necessary for the safety of both the horse and the rider,” the statement said.

The provision specifically banning the use of any medication within 24 hours of a race was added to the bill earlier this year in order to garner the support of Frank Stronach, the owner-breeder who controls The Stronach Group, the large racing company. The addition ended up solidifying the positions on both sides of the bill.

The bill has been introduced to a committee in the House of Representatives by its co-sponsors, Rep. Paul Tonko, a Democrat from upstate New York, and Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican from Central Kentucky. Lobbyists watching the bill have said that general political considerations make movement of the bill a longshot unless the industry presents a unified front in support of the legislation.