Kentucky looks at steroids

The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority is seeking to adopt rules that would regulate the use of four commonly administered anabolic steroids and ban all others in racehorses, the top official of the authority said Tuesday.

The rule, to be based on a recommendation from a national drug-research group, would allow the use of boldenone, nandrolone, stanozolol, and testosterone within an undetermined number of days of a race, but would prohibit administration of all other anabolic steroids.

Lisa Underwood, the authority's executive director, said that the rule would be forwarded to the authority's Equine Drug Research Council soon, and that adoption would likely take at least six months.

"With the current focus on anabolic steroids in other sports, I would hope people would cooperate," Underwood said.

The use of anabolic steroids in U.S. horse racing had been largely unregulated until the recommendation in late 2006 by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium that the sport seek to prohibit regular administration of the drugs. Anabolic steroids can build muscle mass and help horses recover from strenuous exercise.

Since that recommendation, a number of states have moved to regulate the use of the drugs, including California, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Underwood said the authority planned to work with horsemen and track officials on approval of the rules.