New York to allow DMSO liniment on race day; small change to claiming rules

The New York State Gaming Commission on Monday adopted two minor revisions to its medication rules that will allow trainers to apply the commonly used liniment DMSO on race day and give owners and trainers expanded powers to void a claim.

The rule allowing for topical use of DMSO, or dimethyl sulfoxide, was adopted on the recommendation of the commission’s equine medical director and the state’s drug-testing lab director, who each said that the use of the liniment on race day would not “pose a threat to racing integrity or the safety and health of race horses,” according to material distributed by the commission. DMSO is most commonly used as a mild anti-inflammatory.

New York’s rules will continue to ban the oral and intravenous use of DMSO within 48 hours of a race, the commission said. Both rules are in line with recommendations of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, an industry-funded group that develops medication policies for the sport.

The second revision will expand the state’s present rule for voiding claims largely by replacing one term in the rule, “post-race,” with “race-day.” That will allow trainers or owners to void claims for any positive test from a horse. In addition, the rule will allow a trainer or owner to void a claim if the horse tested positive in a race prior to the claim but the state had not yet announced the positive.