According to a report, on Tuesday, September 7, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission unanimously approved the much-discussed out-of-competition testing rule. It has also been reported that commission member and standardbred breeder Alan Leavitt again voiced some strong

words.

An article on courier-journal.com explains that the proposal calls for first-time violators to lose their license for five to 10 years and face a $50,000 fine. The states of Indiana, New Jersey and Delaware, and the province of Ontario, call for 10-year penalties for serious blood doping violations.

The rule will become effective once it is signed by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and filed with the Legislative Research Commission -- moves which are expected to occur in the next several days.

According to the report, Leavitt, who has been vocal throughout this particular rule-making process, said he doesn’t mind if some people view a 10-year suspension for blood doping offences as a death sentence in terms of his/her training career.

“That’s exactly what it’s intended to be,” he was quoted as saying.

Leavitt was also quoted as saying that approving a smaller penalty range for such violations would be a “bad image for Kentucky to be giving the racing world.”

(With files from courier-journal.com)

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