The board of directors of the U.S. Trotting Association discussed the use of furosemide and debated a proposal for increased funding of drug detection and industry-wide marketing during the two days it gathered for its annual meetings in Columbus, Ohio.

Photo by Mark Hall

Salix Discussion: Alan Leavitt, who counts among his titles USTA District 3 director and member of the Kentucky Racing Commission, briefs the board on the use of Salix in racing. He is joined on the dais by (from left) Joe Faraldo, District 8-A director and moderator, USTA President Phil Langley, Dr. Alice Stack of Michigan State University and veterinarian Dr. Jay Baldwin

On the first day the board heard comments from two veterinarians and a member of the Kentucky Racing Commission about furosemide—commonly known by the trade names Salix^TM and Lasix^TM. There has been much discussion about the use of the bleeder medication, but there has been no consensus formed within the racing industry.

The discussion was led by USTA director Joseph Faraldo, and included a panel consisting of Dr. Alice Stack of Michigan State University, an expert on exercise-induced bleeding; Dr. Jay Baldwin, a practicing equine veterinarian; and Alan J. Leavitt, a USTA District 3 director who is a member of the Kentucky Racing Commission, chairs the Association of Racing Commissioners Standardbred Racing Committee, and is also a director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.

Dr. Stack noted that furosemide is the only known drug that has been proved effective in treating “bleeders,” who are very common in both Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing.

“Eighty percent of racehorses bled when using a placebo, as opposed to only 55.3 percent who used furosemide,” she said, citing a British study of Thoroughbreds.

Dr. Baldwin, who is an equine practitioner with clients in the Mid-Atlantic states, also noted that one criticism of furosemide has effectively been proven false: “It’s no longer a masking agent for other drugs because today’s testing uses better technology,” he said.

The matter was referred to the USTA’s Regulatory Committee, which drafted the board’s official position on the matter (see sidebar): The Association recommended the continued use of the anti-bleeding medication furosemide—under carefully administered conditions—as a humane method of ensuring the health of the racehorse.

USTA Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Tanner also spoke at the opening session and discussed key association projects such as the expansion of online services, the Strategic Wagering Program and Back to the Track, all of which have served the membership and the sport. He also suggested that the USTA should make, as part of its mission, increasing the number of new owners and “driving” the growth of handle, which as Tanner said, “is what everything grows out of.”

The results of a recent survey conducted by Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs and Meadowlands Racetrack operator Jeff Gural was presented by USTA District 8 director and Tioga Downs executive Jason Settlemoir on day two of the meetings. The survey of USTA members in New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware asked if horse owners would be willing to divert 1 percent of purse money to improved drug testing and one-half of 1 percent to marketing efforts; the result showed an 84 and 87 percent “yes” response to the questions, respectively.

Photos by Mark Hall

From left, USTA Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Tanner, Chairman Ivan Axelrod and President Phil Langley prepare for the general session

Settlemoir said that he and Gural had noted that legislatures in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ontario were poised to raid gaming-produced funds to pay for other state initiatives, which meant that racing needed to be proactive in defending itself. He called for forming a partnership to advance the sport and better ensure its future.

Objections to the survey and its suggested courses of action came from several directors, including District 8A directors Mike Kimelman and Joseph Faraldo, representing the Standardbred Owners Association of New York, and Sam Beegle, president of the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association. Settlemoir, in his presentation, asked USTA President Phil Langley to name a committee to study the issue, and Langley did just that, tabbing Settlemoir and Faraldo to join a group of others, to be chaired by Harness Tracks of America President and USTA District 9 director Paul Fontaine. Their mission, as directed by Langley, will be to see where the sport stands in terms of the amounts being spent for drug detection and marketing and how and where those amounts are being spent.

Photo by Mark Hall

President Langley presents a President's Award to Gail Cunard, director of the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. They are joined by museum president Ebby Gerry

The board seated four new members at the start of its meetings, including Kevin Mack, a 48-year industry veteran who currently serves as race secretary at Hoosier Park; George Ducharme, a longtime New England horseman; Fred Nichols, director of racing for Hollywood Slots Hotel and Raceway in Bangor, Maine; and Jordan Stratton, whose youth is complemented by his sulky skills, evidenced by his becoming one of the sport’s youngest drivers to reach 1,000 wins.

Stratton, who at 103 days short of his 25th birthday, became the youngest individual ever seated on the USTA board, lowering the record held by another current director, Northfield Park’s Brock Milstein, who had just turned 25 when he joined the board in 2001.

There were no elections held this year due to the lack of challengers, and USTA President Phil Langley was not up for re-election after having been elected to a third four-year term last year. Other officers, all elected by acclimation to one-year terms, continued in office: Ivan Axelrod (District 3) will continue to serve as chairman, Russell Williams (District 7) as vice chairman, Richard “Dick” Brandt (District 1) as treasurer and USTA deputy registrar Barbara Brooks as secretary.

The board will next meet in February of next year, as part of the 2013 Harness Racing Congress.

USTA Position on Bleeder Medication