The New York Racing Association (NYRA) will begin pre- and post-race
“milkshake” testing for races at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga, effective
Wednesday. Random pre-race testing will be conducted each day. Post-race testing
will be conducted on all NYRA races to determine if blood-gas levels exceed
legal thresholds.
“Milkshaking” is the illegal administration of a mixture of bicarbonate of
soda, sugar and electrolytes to a horse in hopes of reducing fatigue, thus
enhancing performance.
“There has been a vigorous debate within the industry over which testing
practice employs the best methodology,” said C. Steven Duncker, NYRA’s
co-chairman.
“We will do both to help New York racing and the entire industry in becoming
more knowledgeable through this collection of data. As the owners and caretakers
of three of the most important racetracks in the sport of Thoroughbred racing,
it is imperative that NYRA pursues all avenues to prevent illegal practices.”
Last Friday, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board adopted
emergency rules that authorize “milkshake” testing for harness and Thoroughbred horses in the state. The new
rules set 37 millimoles per liter as the threshold level, establish penalty
guidelines, and provide provisions for voidable claims and procedures for trainers to
verify naturally high levels of TCO2 in a racehorse.
As an emergency filing, the rules will remain in effect for 90 days. After
that, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board intends to make the rules permanent.
Any trainer whose horse tests positive for illegal substances will be
required to move any horses entered in a race to a NYRA security barn by 5 p.m.
prior to race day. This policy will be in effect for a period of 30 days after a
first offense.
For a second offense, a trainer will have his stalls revoked and will not be
allotted stalls in the future at NYRA tracks.