Drug ban wins initial OK

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky horse racing regulators approved a ban Wednesday on the race-day use of an anti-bleeding drug, making it the first state in the nation to take such action.

The proposed regulation would phase in the race-day ban on furosemide in graded or listed stakes races, beginning with 2-year-old horses in 2014. The ban would apply to the Kentucky Derby in 2015.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved the proposal 7-5. The measure still needs the approval from state lawmakers.

"I think this is the right thing to do at the correct time," commissioner Tracy Farmer said. "We cannot succeed as a sport with drugs."

The drug is banned across much of the world because it is considered a performance enhancer.

Furosemide is marketed as Lasix and Salix and is the only medication allowed to be given to horses on race day in the U.S. The drug is used commonly to treat pulmonary hemorrhaging in racehorses