R52-7-13. Drugs and Medication Exceptions and Illegal Practices

  1. Horses Tested. The winner of every race and such other horses as the stewards or commission veterinarian may designate shall be escorted by the veterinarian assistant after the race to the testing enclosure for examination by the authorized representative of the Commission and the taking of specimens shall be by the commission veterinarian or his assistant.

  2. Trainer Present at Testing. The trainer, or his authorized representative, must be present in the testing enclosure when a urine or other specimen is taken from a horse, the sample tag attached to the specimen shall be signed by the trainer or his representative, as witness of taking of the specimen. Willful failure to be present at or a refusal to allow the taking of the specimen, or any act or threat to impede or prevent or otherwise interfere therewith, shall subject the person or persons doing so to immediate suspension and fine by the stewards and the matter shall be referred to the Commission for such further penalty as may be determined.

  3. Specimens Delivered to Laboratory. All specimens taken by or under the direction of the commission veterinarian, or other authorized representative of the Commission, shall be delivered to the laboratory approved by the Commission for official analysis. Each specimen shall be marked by number and date and may also bear such information as may be essential to its proper analysis; but the identity of the horse from the specimen was taken or the identity of its owner, trainer, jockey or stable shall not be revealed to the laboratory. The container of specimen shall be sealed as soon as the specimen is placed therein and shall bear the name of the Commission.

  4. Medication. The commission veterinarian, the Commission or any member of the Board of Stewards may take samples of any medicines or other materials suspected of containing improper medication, drugs or chemicals which would affect the racing conditions of a horse in a race and which may be found in stables or elsewhere on race track grounds or in the possession of such tracks or any person connected with racing and the same shall be delivered to the laboratory designated by the Commission.

  5. The Only Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Permitted. Phenylbutazone shall be administered to the horse no later than 24 hours prior to the time the horse is scheduled to race.

  6. Phenylbutazone Levels Permitted and Penalty. No urine sample taken from a horse shall exceed 165 micrograms of phenylbutazone or its metabolites per milliliter of urine or shall not exceed 5 micrograms per milliliter of blood plasma. On a first violation period at phenylbutazone concentrations above 5 ug/ml but below 10 ug/ml plasma or serum: a minimum fine of $250.00; at concentrations above 10 ug/ml plasma: a fine of up to $500.00.

  On a second violation within a 12 month period at phenylbutazone concentrations above 5 ug/ml but below 10 ug/ml plasma or serum: a minimum fine of $500.00; at concentrations above 10 ug/ml plasma: a fine of up to $1,000.00.

  On a third or subsequent violation within a 12-month period: a fine of $1,000.00, a suspension of 30 days, and loss of purse.

  7. Administered under Direction of Commission Licensed Veterinarian. Phenylbutazone must be administered under the direction of a commission licensed veterinarian.

  8. List Provided. Horses which are on phenylbutazone shall not be indicated on the daily racing programs or any other publications except that a list of horses on phenylbutazone will be kept by the stewards.

  9. Lasix Treatment. Any horse which exhibits symptoms of Epistaxis and/or respiratory tract hemorrhage is eligible for placement on the bleeder list and for treatment on race days with the approved medication to prevent or limit bleeding during racing.

  10. Bleeders Listing. To be placed on the bleeders list, a horse must be found to have, during or immediately following a race or workout, shed free blood from one or both nostrils or bled internally in the respiratory tract. A Commission licensed veterinarian, following his or her personal examination of a horse, or after consulting with the horses' private veterinarian, shall be allowed to certify a horse as a bleeder. A universal bleeders certificate is required.

  11. License Required. In any and all cases, private veterinarians must be licensed with the Utah Horse Racing Commission as a veterinarian in order to administer Lasix.

  12. Horse Removed From Bleeders List. A Commission licensed veterinarian may remove a horse from the bleeders list, provided a request is made in writing and it is the recommendation of the veterinarian of the horse, or after an examination by the veterinarian, it is determined that the horse is not a bleeder or is no longer eligible for the bleeders list.

  13. Treatment Procedure. Horses on the bleeders list must be treated at least four hours prior to post time with the bleeder medication furosemide, (i.e. Lasix). No other treatment is permitted for bleeder treatment. Bleeder medication must be administered by a licensed veterinarian or trainer in the manner approved by the official veterinarian, using dosages pursuant to CHRB Rule No. 1845, section (e), (Effective 5/27/05), Authorized Bleeder Medication, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Trainers are required to have Lasix forms completed by the veterinarian, the Lasix form must be returned to the test barn personnel within ten minutes of the time of administration of Lasix. The form shall include the date, time and amount of Lasix administered and the signature of the veterinarian. Upon receipt of the Lasix form, the test barn personnel shall log in the date and time of receipt. If the time of receipt exceeds the ten minute grace period, the test barn personnel shall notify the stewards, and the horse shall be scratched by the stewards for the day's racing.

  14. Lasix Levels Permitted and Penalty. Any horse whose post race blood tests contains a level in excess of the levels set forth in CHRB Rule No. 1845, sections (b)-(c), (Effective 5/27/05), Authorized Bleeder Medication, hereby incorporated by reference, will be said to be positive for Lasix overage and in violation of Utah Horse Racing Rules and Regulations.

  A. A finding of a chemist of furosemide (Lasix) exceeding the allowable test levels given above shall be considered prima facia evidence that the medication was administered to the horse and carried in the body of the horse while participating in the race.

  B. In these cases, a fine and/or suspension will be levied to such horse trainer under the trainer responsibility rule and the horse will be disqualified from the race.

  15. Horses Designated. The horses' trainer or designated agent is responsible to enter horses correctly indicating the prescribed medication for the horse. Horses approved for Lasix medication will be designated on the overnight and the daily program with a Lasix or "L". A list of horses approved for and using Lasix medication will be maintained by the stewards.

  16. Bleeder Disqualification. Any horse that bleeds a second time in Utah shall not be able to race for a period of 30 days from the date of the second bleeding offense. Any horse that bleeds for a third time shall be suspended from racing for a period of one year from the date of the third offense. Any horse bleeding for the fourth time will be given a lifetime suspension from racing.

  17. Disqualification of Owner or Trainer. A horse owner or trainer found to have committed illegal practices under this chapter or found to have administered any non-approved medication substances in violation of the rules in this chapter, shall be deemed disqualified and denied, or shall promptly return, any portion of the purse or sweepstakes or trophy awarded in the affected race, and shall be distributed as in the case of a disqualification. If the affected race is a qualifying race for a subsequent race and if a horse shall be so disqualified, the eligibility of the other horses which ran in the affected race, and which have started in the subsequent race before announcement of such disqualification shall not in any way be affected.

  18. Hypodermic Instruments Prohibited. Except by specific written permission of the presiding steward, no person within the grounds of the racing association where the horses are lodged or kept shall have possession of, upon the premises which he occupies or has the right to occupy or in any of his personal property or effects, any hypodermic instrument, hypodermic syringes or hypodermic needle which may be used for injection into any horse of any medication prohibited by this rule. Every racing association is required to use all reasonable efforts to prevent the violation of this rule.

  19. Search Provisions. Every racing association, the Commission or the stewards shall have the right to enter, search and inspect the buildings, stables, rooms and other places where horses which are eligible to race are kept, or where property and effects of the licensee are kept within the grounds of the association. Any licensee accepting a license shall be deemed to have consented to such search and to the seizure of any non-approved or prohibited materials, chemicals, drugs or devices and anything apparently intended to be used in connection therewith.

  20. Daily Medication Reports. All practicing veterinarians must submit daily to the commission veterinarian a medication report form furnished by the Commission containing the following:

  A. Name, age, sex and breed of the horse.

  B. The permitted drug used (Bute or Lasix).

  C. The time administered.

  D. The route of the administration.

  E. The report must be dated and signed by the veterinarian so administering the medication. Any such report is confidential and its contents shall not be disclosed except in a proceeding before the stewards or the Commission or in the exercise of the Commission's jurisdiction.

  21. Prima Facia Evidence. If the stewards find that any non-approved medication, for which the purpose of definition shall include any drug, chemical, narcotic, anesthetic, or analgesic has been administered to a horse in such a manner that it is present in a pre-race or post-race test sample, such presence shall constitute prima facia evidence that the horse has been illegally medicated.

  22. Trainer Responsibility. Under all circumstances, the horse of record trainer shall be responsible for the horse he trains.