The outgoing and incoming leaders of the USA Association of Racing Commissioners have called for a five-year phase-out of equine medication in horse racing.

The announcements came at the RCI annual convention in New Orleans on Sunday and they are sure to receive a hostile reception among industry groups.

Outgoing RCI chairman Dan Hartman of Colorado said a five-year phase-out is reasonable so that North American racing policies will mirror drug rules in Australia, Dubai, Europe and Hong Kong.

New RCI chairman Willie Koester agreed with Hartman.  “Today over 99% of racehorses have a needle stuck in them four hours before a race,” Ohio based Koester said.  “That just does not pass the smell test with the public or anyone else except horse trainers who think it necessary to win a race.

“I’m sure the decision-makers at the time meant well when these drugs were permitted; however, this decision has forced our jurisdictions to juggle threshold levels as horseman become more desperate to win races.”

The RCI made no mention of the use of therapeutic medications for training which also occurs in overseas jurisdictions.  

In recent years, RCI has based its medication policies largely on recommendations from the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, which was formed to develop consensus on medication and improve drug-testing practices.  A shift toward “zero tolerance” would mark a departure from that policy.