LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky horse racing officials have implemented random drug testing for race horses ahead of this fall’s Breeders’ Cup.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission unanimously approved the measure on Tuesday, hoping it further deters instances of blood doping and use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Kentucky’s law on out of competition testing borrows from plans enacted in New York, Indiana and elsewhere. It would require owners of horses eligible to run in Kentucky to make their animals available for random testing, regardless of where they are stabled.
The worst drug violations could trigger severe penalties, including a 5-10 year suspension and $50,000 fine upon the first violation. Owners or trainers found in violation a second time would receive a lifetime ban.
