by Jeff Lowe

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s American Graded Stakes Committee will require anabolic steroid testing and toe grab restrictions as conditions for grade eligibility, beginning in 2009.

States or racetracks will have to adopt, at a minimum, the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) model rule on androgenic anabolic steroids by January 1 or the date of the state’s or racetrack’s first graded race in 2009, whichever date is later. If a state or racetrack does not adopt the model rule, their races will lose their graded status and not be eligible for grading until the rule is adopted.

The model rule severely restricts the use of anabolic steroids in horses in training. Naturally occurring substances boldenone, nandrolone, stanozolol, and testosterone are only allowed at trace levels, and all other anabolic steroids are banned. Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Virginia have adopted the model rule.

Approximately 15 other states have started the process of adopting the rule.

In early August, Breeders’ Cup Ltd. announced that it would not issue stakes funds or Breeders’ Cup Challenge status to tracks in the United States or Canada that have not adopted the steroid model rule.

The committee also adopted a similar provision requiring states or racetracks to adopt the RCI model rule restricting toe grabs in order to retain grade eligibility. On August 2, the RCI board of directors voted to ban toe grabs more than two millimeters long, which follows a guideline issued by the Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Safety Committee.

Six states already have toe grab prohibitions and others, like Kentucky, are in the process of putting rules in place. Some racetracks, including Keeneland Race Course and Woodbine, have adopted their own house rules.

The committee also expanded its drug-testing protocol to include screens for alkalinizing agents [milkshakes] beginning in 2009, as another condition for grade eligibility. All horses competing in graded stakes races will be required to have blood samples drawn before they race.

Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer