"You can do it if you want to do it," said Louis Romanet, the chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, in regard to banning the use of lasix in all black-type races in the United

States by 2012.

At the Jockey Club Round Table on Matters Pertaining to Racing this past Sunday, Romanet suggested that U.S. medication rules are out of step with the rest of the racing world and will prevent the country from participating in an international effort to standardize drug rules worldwide.

Romanet referred to statistics showing that the average number of starts per year for a racehorse in the U.S. has declined from 11.31 in 1960 to 6.2 in 2008.

Dr. Scott Palmer, the chairman of the American Association of Equine Practitioners' Racing Committee, said that the AAEP supports the race-day use of lasix, citing the results of a study released earlier this year, which proved that the drug effectively treats the severity of bleeding under actual racing conditions.

To read the article from the Racing Officials Accreditation Program in its entirety, click here.

(With files from Racing Officials Accreditation Program)