Horsemen call for harsher penalties for performance-enhancing drugs

The national Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association was expected to call for the “strictest penalties” for Class I or Class II drug violations at a meeting Tuesday of the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

The topic was discussed at the HBPA's recently concluded summer convention in Seattle, according to the Thoroughbred Times:

“I believe that the public positions taken by our Board send the message out that while we and industry regulators may still have work to do on how we regulate and penalize horsemen with regard to the use of legitimate therapeutic medications, we are very much united with regulators on passing even tougher penalties for those found guilty of using substances that we all agree don't belong any where near a horse—the performance enhancing, non-therapeutic RCI Class I and II listed substances,” National HBPA President Joe Santanna said on July 24.