Breeders' Cup board bans race day medication
July 14, 2011LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Race day medication will be banned at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, starting with 2-year-olds in 2012 and covering all races beginning in 2013.
The Breeders' Cup board of directors adopted a measure Thursday directing that procedures be developed to implement the ban.
Breeders' Cup Chairman Tom Ludt said in a statement that strong international participation in the Breeders' Cup was a factor in the board's decision to bring policies in line with international practices.
The Breeders' Cup began out-of-competition testing for blood doping agents for the championships in 2007 and banned the use of steroids from competition in 2008.
Total purses for this year's event at Churchill Downs Nov. 4 and 5 are $26 million.