As Lasix ban reaches Kentucky Derby, debate over anti-bleeding medication continues

If trainer D. Wayne Lukas had gotten his wish, Grindstone’s victory in the 1996 Kentucky Derby wouldn’t be the answer to an obscure trivia question.

Owned by William T. Young’s Overbrook Farm, Grindstone is the last horse to win the Run for the Roses without running on Lasix, the controversial anti-bleeding medication.

As Lukas tells it, Young was outspoken against the use of race-day medication for thoroughbreds and didn’t want to be hypocritical in allowing Grindstone to run on Lasix in the Kentucky Derby.

Lukas, winner of four Kentucky Derbys, wasn’t so sure.

“God forbid I run in the Kentucky Derby or any major race and get beat half a stride, only to find out that he bled,” Lukas said. “If nobody’s using it, that’s one thing. But if 19 out of 20 are using it, you don’t want to be the 20th one.”

Owners and trainers in this year’s Kentucky Derby won’t have to make that choice.

Kentucky began a partial elimination of race-day Lasix, the trade name for furosemide, with 2-year-old races in 2020. This year, the ban extended to stakes races — including the Kentucky Derby — as the sport moved toward a complete elimination of Lasix by July 1, 2022, which is when the Horseracing Integrity And Safety Act is scheduled to go into effect.

As part of this year’s new rules, horses that ran on race-day Lasix could not accumulate qualifying points toward this year’s Kentucky Derby.

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The debate about Lasix and its pros and cons goes back more than 40 years.

Proponents say Lasix prevents bleeding and aids breathing. Blood entering the lungs during high physical activity can cause a pulmonary hemorrhage and result in death. And there’s always been a concern about public backlash if a horse were to win a major race — such as the Kentucky Derby — only to be visibly bleeding out of a nostril after crossing the finish line.

Opponents say Lasix can lead to dehydration and is a masking agent for other drugs. Lasix is generally prohibited as a race-day medication in other countries.

Chad Brown, winner of four straight Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer from 2016-19, has been training since 2007 and admits he’s still not sure which side is right.

“I think it’s very early still with that,” Brown said. “I’m a big information guy and I like data, so I’d like to see it researched more and in the future do what’s best for the horses and the industry. I don’t know what the answer is, but I think now is the time with these new rules to obtain a lot of data and look at it.”

Lasix 'a friend of the horse'

The issue crested April 3 at Keeneland when Bound for Nowhere beat Imprimis by a nose to win the Grade 2 Shakertown, a race that did not allow horses to run on Lasix.

After the race, Imprimis trainer Joe Orseno questioned the Lasix ban after seeing his horse bleeding from a nostril. Days later, Orseno issued a statement clarifying that some of the bleeding was caused by the horse hitting his head in the gate. Orseno said a veterinarian exam confirmed Imprimis had trace levels of Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhaging, the exact condition Lasix is used to prevent.

“They’re taking the best horses in the country, and they’re penalizing them,” Orseno said immediately after the race. “How is that good for the public’s perception? That’s what I want to know. Somebody has to answer that question. It’s not fair to take a horse like this and make them bleed. It’s just not fair. I wish you would print every word of that because it’s total bull---- . I’m very upset.”

Indeed, it’s an emotional topic for trainers.

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Greg Foley has been training since 1981 and had his first horse in the Kentucky Derby last year with Major Fed. He’s back this year with O Besos.

Foley said the new rules didn’t change the way he trained into the Triple Crown series this year but added he uses Lasix every time he’s allowed.

“I think it’s the craziest thing ever taking away Lasix,” he said. “I think it’s a friend of the horse. I see no negatives to it. I don’t understand at all, to tell you the truth, why they want to take it away. You want to see a horse bleed? All it does is help the horse and keep them from bleeding.

“If you get a horse bleeding all the time, you’re in big trouble with the horse’s health. The racing career is going to be very limited — if not over — for a lot of horses, depending on how bad the circumstances are.”

Hurting owners and trainers

Lukas said owners and trainers with only a handful of horses will suffer most because of the Lasix ban.

“The guy that’s going to get hurt is the guy you talked into spending $250,000 on a well-bred yearling, only to find out he bleeds and he can’t race,” Lukas said. “And if you’re a small trainer and only have four horses and one of them bleeds, they’ve taken 25% of your livelihood right there.”

Several trainers noted bleeding was a problem even when Lasix was allowed.

Brad Cox, the Louisville native who has the Kentucky Derby favorite in Essential Quality, was affected by the new rule when Hidden Scroll bled after the Grade 3 Commonwealth on April 3 at Keeneland.

An April 5 report from PaulickReport.com said Hidden Scroll’s incident “was the fourth case of verified bleeding on record since the state began its partial phaseout.” The report said the other cases came at Ellis Park and Churchill Downs in 2020 and at Turfway Park earlier this year.

Cox declined to comment when asked whether Lasix should be allowed.

“The bottom line is we’ve had a lot of success without Lasix,” Cox said. “I don’t feel like it’s affected our ability to have our horses perform.”

Like Brown, Todd Pletcher said he would like to see more data about the effects of Lasix-free races.

“To be honest, we have horses bleed sometimes with Lasix,” Pletcher said. “Sometimes they win and bleed. Sometimes they run poorly and bleed. I think some people have the misconception that if you give a horse Lasix, they will not bleed. That’s not always accurate. Some horses will bleed through Lasix. Those horses when they go off Lasix are probably a bigger issue.”

Contact reporter Jason Frakes at jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby: As Lasix ban hits race, debate continues with trainers