The Breeders' Cup will ban race-day medication in the five races for two-year-olds at the 2012 event on its way to a full ban for all entrants in 2013, the Daily Racing Form reported Friday.
The move will put American thoroughbred racing's premier event on course with other top races around the world, where use of race-day medication is banned. At the center of the move is the use of Lasix, a diuretic to treat bleeding in a horse's lungs that has become standard at American racetracks.
The move is reportedly supported by industry groups like the Jockey Club and the Association of Racing Commissioners International, but opposed by trainers.
The ban was adopted Thursday at a meeting in Lexington, Ky., and announced in a statement by the Breeders' Cup.
"Given the high level of international participation in our Championships and the increasing support for our nominations programs throughout the global Thoroughbred breeding and racing community, Breeders' Cup feels strongly that the time has come to modify our medication policies to be consistent with international practices," said Tom Ludt, Breeders' Cup Chairman.
"Breeders' Cup has a longstanding reputation for setting high standards of safety, security and integrity for the participants in our Championships and this measure continues that tradition."
Horses that travel from overseas to compete in the Breeders' Cup are almost always administered Lasix, even though they do not race with it in their home countries. Trainers from around the world say they have to give their horses the drug because otherwise they would be at an unfair disadvantage.
More than 90 percent of horses receive the drug on race-day at US racetracks.
The site for the 2012 Breeders' Cup has not been decided. This year's Breeders' Cup will be held Nov. 4-5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., for the second year in a row.
