At its October 2008 monthly meeting, the Delaware Harness Racing Commission referred the subject of testing for steroids in standardbred race horses to the DHRC Rules Committee with the recommendation that the DHRC rules be amended to require testing for steroids in standardbred race horses effective as of April 1, 2009.

It is expected that all anabolic/androgenic steroids will be banned from use and prohibited, by rule, from being found in any biological sample procured from a horse with the exception of minimal permissible levels of Boldenone, Testosterone, Nandrolone and Stanazolol.

Testing rules and permissible levels will be established by the DHRC Rules Committee and then considered for adoption by the Commission, with the expectation that the revised rules will be adopted and made effective as of April 1, 2009.

However, all horsemen are advised to cease from administering any/all Anabolic/Androgenic steroids in this jurisdiction.

The Commissioners have been considering this matter since the Fall of 2007 and have now agreed to proceed as scheduled after hearing public comment, as well as receiving input from the DSOA and management from both racetracks.

(Delaware Department of Agriculture)