Regulators around the country are examining the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s (KHRC) move to phase out use of race-day furosemide in graded and listed stakes beginning in 2014, but there doesn’t appear to be a rush to follow suit.

Comments from officials in other racing jurisdictions suggest there is reluctance for several reasons, including legislative approval processes, a focus on other issues related to equine medication and safety, and opposition from horsemen’s groups. In addition, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, a 40-member racetrack trade group, on June 21 called for medication reforms that don’t include a ban on furosemide, also called Salix or Lasix.

Even states with an abundance of graded stakes events–California, Florida, and New York–appear to be on the fence, according to comments obtained by The Blood-Horse. The potential of banning Salix has been widely discussed for more than a year, but the regulatory debate may be just beginning.

California
"There is not a lot of support in California for such a ban among horsemen," said Rick Arthur, DVM, equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB). "(A ban on Salix) would have a huge effect here. There are multiple generations of horsemen that have never known anything but race-day Salix. They wouldn’t know how to race without it