The Model Rules Committee of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) will meet via conference call on Friday, September 17 at 1:00 p.m. EDT to consider the recommendation to lower the recommended threshold for phenylbutazone (bute)
from 5 micrograms per milliliter of plasma or serum to 2 micrograms per milliliter of plasma or serum. This potential change seeks to address concerns raised by the RCI Regulatory Veterinarians Committee that the current policy may jeopardize the ability of regulatory veterinarians to conduct a valid pre-race examination of racing equines since current research indicates that higher levels of bute potentially interfere with pain perception in the equine athletes.
Based on this concern, RCI requested a review of this matter as well a review of current the corticosteroids policy by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) late last year. The RMTC Scientific Advisory Committee, chaired by Dr. Rick Arthur of the California Horse Racing Board and comprised of Drs. Bobby Lewis, Tom Brokken, Rick Sams, Tom Tobin, Larry Soma, Al Kind, George Maylin, Scott Stanley, and Don Catlin, made a recommendation that was adopted by the RMTC in April and forwarded to RCI.
The RCI Drug Testing Standards and Practices Committee met on May 14 of this year and voted unanimously to endorse changing the threshold level for phenylbutazone to 2 micrograms per milliliter of plasma or serum, a policy currently in effect in the state of Maryland. The Model Rules Committee planned to consider the matter on July 23 but deferred action at the request of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (HBPA), which sought the opportunity to debate the issue and forward additional information to the RCI.
That information is currently under review and Larry Eliason, Chairman of the Model Rules Committee, has scheduled a conference call meeting of the committee for next Friday.
RCI President Ed Martin has indicated that the recommended change has considerable support, not only from the regulatory veterinarians and the RMTC but also the Jockey Club’s Welfare and Safety Committee and the American Association of Equine Practitioners, among others.
“We clearly understand that this is a controversial matter with some horsemen and we have taken every step to be deliberate in our consideration of this issue,” he said, noting that while the representatives of the National HBPA have opposed the proposed change in the phenylbutazone policy, other horsemen, specifically representatives of the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, are supportive.
Martin indicated that the RCI Board of Directors would consider whatever the Model Rules Committee recommends when it meets in early October.
(RCI)