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Trainers of horses that test positive for anabolic steroids at this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park (Oct. 24-25) will face a one-year suspension from the event; and trainers who violate steroid regulations three times will face a lifetime ban from participating in Thoroughbred racing’s season-ending championships according to the new policy announced today by the Breeders’ Cup.
In addition, beginning in 2009, the Breeders’ Cup will neither fund Stakes purses nor award Breeders’ Cup Challenge events to racetracks in the U.S. and Canada unless those tracks are in states or provinces that adopt Racing Commissioners International (RCI) model rules on anabolic steroids via either state regulation or house rules. Breeders’ Cup currently funds $6 million in purses via the Stakes program and schedules 53 races in the U.S. and Canada designated as Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, official qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. The Challenge races in Hong Kong and England are already steroid free.
That’s interesting.
I’m a real novice when it comes to USA racing.
Does this mean it is illegal for trainers to use steriods completely or just for Breeders’ Cup runners?
Seems a bit odd/pointless if it’s the later – plenty of other rich non BC races.
Zip
Get Zippy,
Firstly with California having gone steroid free (home of the Breeders Cup in 2008 and 2009) any horses wishing to run there would already be coming off medication in order to be clean by then – regardless of where they are trained.
Yes if you’ve got a horse which only races on the East Coast – for example – it could still be on steroids but Breeders’ Cup are making a stance and will have an effect.
Secondly a lot of states require Breeders’ Cup money to fund their biggest purse races and the Challenge races ("Win and you’re In") with their TV exposure and media hype mean that some tracks will be pushing for their States to go drug free or risk losing these Breeders Cup incentives.
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