Maryland tightens medication rules

The Maryland Horse Racing Commission has passed a number of rules that are being considered or adopted in other states that would tighten the use of therapeutic medications, according to the commission.

During a meeting last week, the commission adopted a rule that would extend the ban on intra-articular administrations of corticosteroids from seven days before a race to 14 days before a race. The commission also lengthened a ban on the administration of a single non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as bute, from 24 hours to 48 hours.

Those two rules are part of a handful of new regulations being sought in jurisdictions across the U.S. to address concerns that the use of some medications can complicate pre-race examinations or provide temporary alleviation for conditions that might otherwise require longer recovery periods. On Monday, a committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved the same rules, and on Tuesday, the New York Gaming Commission approved the extension on corticosteroids. New York already has a 48-hour ban on NSAIDs.

The Maryland Racing Commission, and the New York Gaming Commission, participate in a regional coalition of racing interests that last month pledged to approve the new rules.

Also at the meeting, the Maryland commission banned the use of bisphosphonates, a class of drugs that are thought to have deleterious impacts on bone remodeling if used on young horses. The commission imposed a mandatory suspension of one year on any veterinarian who administers a drug in the class to a racehorse.

A number of rules regarding the eligibility of horses to train and race were also approved, including a requirement that trainers notify clockers of the name of a horse that is working on the track. Trainers and owners will also be required to provide veterinary records to any new owner of a horse.

Most of the rules were passed on an emergency basis and will go into effect immediately, though some were passed pending additional public comment or regulatory procedures.