Title of Regulation: 11VAC10-180. Medication (amending 11VAC10-180-25 through 11VAC10-180-80).

Statutory Authority: § 59.1-369 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: January 1, 2014.

Agency Contact: David S. Lermond, Jr., Regulatory Coordinator, Virginia Racing Commission, 10700 Horseman's Road, New Kent, VA 23124, telephone (804) 966-7404, FAX (804) 966-7418, or email david.lermond@vrc.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments set uniform thresholds for a determined list of controlled therapeutic medications and provide for a point system to track medication violations to assist the racing commission in Virginia and other jurisdictions in determining whether additional penalties are appropriate for licensees with multiple violations of the medication rules. These amendments make Virginia's medication rules consistent with nine other states in the Mid-Atlantic region, which benefits horsemen who race their horses in more than one jurisdiction in the region.

11VAC10-180-25. Veterinary practices.

A. Veterinarians under authority of commission veterinarian. Veterinarians holding valid veterinarian permits issued by the commission and practicing at any location under the jurisdiction of the commission are under the authority of the commission veterinarian and the stewards. The commission veterinarian shall recommend to the stewards the discipline that may be imposed upon a veterinarian who violates these regulations.

B. Treatment restrictions.

1. Except as otherwise provided in the regulations, no person other than a licensed veterinarian holding a valid permit issued by the commission may administer a prescription or controlled medication, drug, chemical or other substance to a horse at any location under the jurisdiction of the commission.

2. No person, except a veterinarian holding a valid veterinarian's permit or an assistant under his immediate supervision, shall have in his possession within the enclosure any hypodermic syringe or needle or any instrument capable of being used for the injection of any substance.

3. No person, except a veterinarian holding a valid veterinarian's permit or an assistant under his immediate supervision, shall have in his possession within the enclosure any injectable substance.

4. Notwithstanding these regulations, a veterinarian or other permit holder may possess within the enclosure of a horse racing facility a hypodermic syringe and needle for the purpose of administering to himself a substance, provided that the permit holder has documentary evidence that the substance can only be administered by injection and that the substance to be administered by injection has been prescribed for him.

5. Unless granted approval by the commission veterinarian, practicing veterinarians shall not have contact with an entered horse on race day except for the administration of race-day medications expressly permitted by the regulations. Any unauthorized contact may result in the horse being scratched from the race in which it was scheduled to compete and may result in further disciplinary action by the stewards.

C. Veterinarian treatment reports.

1. Practicing veterinarians must maintain complete records of all treatments, including date, time and proper identification of each horse. The record shall contain the name of the trainer, the name of the horse, all medications and dosages administered, and all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed on the horse.

2. At the request of the commission veterinarian or stewards, practicing veterinarians shall produce within 24 hours the billing and/or treatment records or other information for any horse treated by the veterinarian.

11VAC10-180-35. Prohibited practices.

A. No trainer shall allow a horse to appear in a race, qualifying race or official timed workout, when the horse contains in its system any prohibited substance, as determined by testing of blood, saliva or urine, or any other reasonable means.

B. No person shall administer any prohibited substance to a horse on race day other than those substances expressly permitted by the commission. Substances permitted by the commission shall be administered solely for the benefit and welfare of the horse, nonperformance altering, of no danger to riders/drivers, and unlikely to interfere with the detection of prohibited substances. Furosemide is the only substance specifically permitted for use in approved horses on race day.

C. No veterinarian or permit holder shall, without good cause, possess or administer any substance to a horse stabled within the enclosure or at any facility under the jurisdiction of the commission:

1. That has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any use (human or animal), or the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Veterinary Biologics;

2. That is on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's Schedule I or Schedule II of controlled substances as prepared by the Attorney General of the United States pursuant to 21 USC § 811 and 812;

3. That its use may endanger the health and welfare of the horse or endanger the safety of the rider or driver, or its use may adversely affect the integrity of racing; or

4. That does not have a recognized laboratory analytical method to detect and confirm its administration.

D. No person, except a veterinarian holding a valid veterinarian's permit or an assistant under his immediate supervision, shall have in his possession within the enclosure of a horse racing facility any prescription substance for animal use unless:

1. The person actually possesses, within the enclosure of the horse racing facility, documentary evidence that a prescription has been issued to him for the substance by a licensed veterinarian;

2. The prescription substance is labeled with a dosage for the horse or horses to be treated with the prescription substance; and

3. The horse or horses named in the prescription are then under the care and supervision of the permit holder and are then stabled within the enclosure of the horse racing facility.

E. The possession or administration of erythropoietin (Epogen), darbepoietin, oxyglobin, Hemopure, or any analogous substance that increases oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is prohibited. Furthermore, should the analysis of a test sample detect the presence of antibodies of erythropoietin or darbepoietin or any analogous substance in the horse's blood that indicates a history of use of these substances, the horse shall be prohibited from racing and placed on the veterinarian's list until the horse tests negative for the presence of such antibodies.

F. The use of androgenic and anabolic steroids is prohibited in racing horses as stipulated in 11VAC10-180-75.

G. The use of an extracorporal shockwave therapy device or radial pulse wave therapy device is prohibited on the racetrack premises and at any site that falls under the jurisdiction of the Virginia Racing Commission unless:

1. The therapy device is registered with the commission veterinarian;

2. The therapy device is used by a veterinarian who is a permit holder; and

3. Each use of the therapy device is reported to the commission veterinarian on the treatment report.

Notwithstanding the provisions above, whether on or off the premises, a shockwave therapy device or radial pulse wave therapy device shall not be used on a racehorse fewer than 10 days before the horse is to race. For the purposes of this calculation, the day of treatment shall be considered day one.

H. Tubing of horses prohibited. The tubing or dosing of any horse for any reason on race day is prohibited, unless administered for medical emergency purposes by a licensed veterinarian in which case the horse shall be scratched. The practice of administration of any substance, via a tube or other method, into a horse's stomach on race day is considered a violation of this chapter.

1. Using or possessing the ingredients or the paraphernalia associated with forced feeding to a horse of any alkalinizing agent with or without a concentrated form of carbohydrate, or administering any substance by tubing or other method on race day shall be considered a violation of this chapter.

2. Under the provisions of this subsection, endoscopic examination shall not be considered a violation of this chapter.

I. Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter, no substance of any kind may be administered to a horse within three four hours of the scheduled post time for the race in which the horse is entered. To ensure uniform supervision and conformity to this regulation, the trainer shall have each horse programmed to race stabled in its assigned stall within the enclosure of the horse race facility no fewer than four five hours prior to post time for the respective race.

J. Intra-articular injections prohibited. Injecting any substance or inserting a needle into a joint space is prohibited within five seven days prior to the horse's race.

K. Peri-neural injections prohibited. Injecting a local anesthetic or other chemical agent adjacent to a nerve is prohibited within three days prior to the horse's race.

L. Hyperbaric oxygen chamber prohibited. Subjecting a horse to therapy utilizing a hyperbaric oxygen chamber is prohibited within four days prior to the horse's race.

11VAC10-180-60. Medications and prohibited substances.

A. Medications and prohibited substances are divided into five classes. The classes are:

1. Class 1. Substances found in this class have no generally accepted medical use in the racehorse and have a very high pharmacological potential for altering the performance of a racehorse. These substances should never be found in the horse's system through postrace testing or in the possession of any holder of a permit within the enclosure of a horse racing facility licensed by the commission. Such substances are potent stimulants of the nervous system including opiates, opium derivatives, synthetic opioids, psychoactive drugs, amphetamines and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Scheduled Schedules I and II controlled substances.

2. Class 2. Substances in this class have a high potential to affect the outcome of a race. Most are not generally accepted as therapeutic agents in the racehorse. Many are products intended to alter consciousness or the psychic state of humans, and have no approved or indicated use in the horse. Some, such as injectable local anesthetics, have legitimate uses in equine medicine, but should not be found in a racehorse through postrace testing. The following groups of substances are in this class:

a. Opiate partial agonists or agonist-antagonists;

b. Nonopiate psychotropic drugs, which may have stimulant, depressant, analgesic or neuroleptic effects;

c. Miscellaneous substances that might have a stimulant effect on the central nervous system (CNS);

d. Drugs with prominent CNS depressant action;

e. Antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs, with or without prominent CNS stimulatory or depressant effects;

f. Muscle-blocking substances that have a direct neuromuscular blocking action;

g. Local anesthetics that have a reasonable potential for use as nerve-blocking agents (except procaine);

h. Other biological substances and snake venoms or chemicals that may be used as nerve-blocking agents; and

i. Erythropoietin (Epogen), darbepoietin, oxyglobin, hemopure, or other blood-doping agents.

3. Class 3. Substances found in this class may or may not have an accepted therapeutic use in the horse, but have a potential to enhance performance, and their presence in the horse's system is prohibited on race day. The following groups of substances are in this class:

a. Substances affecting the autonomic nervous system that do not have prominent CNS effects, but that do have prominent cardiovascular and respiratory system effects (bronchodilators are included in this category);

b. Local anesthetics that have nerve-blocking potential but also a high potential for producing urine residue levels from a method of use not related to the anesthetic effect of the substance (procaine);

c. Miscellaneous substances with mild sedative action, such as the sleep-inducing antihistamines;

d. Primary vasodilating/hypotensive agents;

e. Potent diuretics affecting renal function and body fluid composition; and

f. Anabolic and/or androgenic steroids and/or growth hormones other than boldenone, stanozolol, nandrolone, and testosterone, which are classified elsewhere in this section.

4. Class 4. Substances in this class are primarily therapeutic medications routinely used in racehorses. These may influence performance, but generally have a more limited ability to do so. The following groups of drugs are in this class:

a. Nonopiate substances that have a mild central analgesic effect;

b. Substances affecting the autonomic nervous system that do not have prominent CNS, cardiovascular or respiratory effects:

(1) Substances used solely as topical vasoconstrictors or decongestants;

(2) Substances used as gastrointestinal antispasmodics;

(3) Substances used to void the urinary bladder; and

(4) Substances with a major effect on CNS vasculature or smooth muscle of visceral organs.

(5) Antihistamines that do not have a significant CNS depressant effect (this does not include H1 blocking agents, which are listed in Class 3).

c. Mineral corticoid substances;

d. Skeletal muscle relaxants;

e. Anti-inflammatory substances that may reduce pains as a consequence of their anti-inflammatory actions, which include:

(1) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);

(2) Corticosteroids (glucocorticoids); and

(3) Miscellaneous anti-inflammatory agents.

f. Boldenone, stanozolol, nandrolone, and testosterone, individually but not in combination, at levels stipulated in 11VAC10-180-75.

g. Less potent diuretics;

h. Cardiac glycosides and antiarrhythmics including:

(1) Cardiac glycosides;

(2) Anti-arrhythmic agents (exclusive of lidocaine, bretylium and propranolol); and

(3) Miscellaneous cardiotonic drugs.

i. Topical anesthetics agents not available in injectable formulations;

j. Antidiarrheal agents; and

k. Miscellaneous substances including:

(1) Expectorants with little or no other pharmacologic action;

(2) Stomachics; and

(3) Mucolytic agents.

5. Class 5. Drugs in this class are therapeutic medications for which concentration limits have been established as well as certain miscellaneous agents. Included specifically are agents that have very localized action only, such as anti-ulcer drugs and certain anti-allergenic drugs. The anticoagulant drugs are also included.

B. Disciplinary actions.

1. In issuing penalties against individuals found guilty of medication and drug violations a regulatory distinction shall be made between the detection of therapeutic medications used routinely to treat racehorses and those drugs that have no reason to be found at any concentration in the test sample on race day.

2. The stewards or the commission may use the most recent revision of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances and the Multiple Violations Penalty System as the guideline in the penalty stage of the deliberations for a rule violation for any prohibited substance.

3. If a licensed veterinarian is administering or prescribing a drug not listed in the RCI Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances, the identity of the drug shall be forwarded to the commission veterinarian to be forwarded to RCI for classification.

4. Any drug or metabolite thereof found to be present in a pre-race or postrace sample that is not classified in the most recent RCI Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances may be assumed to be an RCI Class 1 Drug and the trainer and owner may be subject to those penalties as set forth in schedule "A" unless satisfactorily demonstrated otherwise by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, with a penalty category assigned.

5. Any permit holder of the commission, including practicing veterinarians, found to be responsible for the improper or intentional administration of any drug resulting in a positive test may be subject to the same penalties set forth to the trainer.

6. Any veterinarian found to be involved in the administration of any drug carrying the penalty category of "A" shall be referred to the respective state licensing board of veterinary medicine for consideration of further disciplinary action and/or license revocation. This is in addition to any penalties issued by the stewards or the commission.

7. Any person who the stewards or the commission believe may have committed acts in violation of criminal statutes shall be referred to the appropriate law-enforcement agency. Administrative action taken by the stewards or the commission in no way prohibits a prosecution for criminal acts committed, nor does a potential criminal prosecution stall administrative action by the stewards or the commission.

8. Pursuant to 11VAC10-60-70 E, all horses in the care of a trainer who is suspended for more than 10 days must be transferred to another trainer approved by the stewards. During the period of suspension the suspended trainer shall have no communication with the new trainer, the new trainers' staff, or the horse owner; shall not benefit financially from transferred horses in his stable during the time of suspension; and shall not be permitted on the grounds except with the permission of the stewards.

11VAC10-180-70. Phenylbutazone, flunixin and other NSAIDs.

A. Generally. By this regulation, the Virginia Racing Commission prohibits the use of multiple NSAIDs in a horse on any given day (stacking) within 96 hours prior to the horse's race. Despite this prohibition of stacking, this regulation specifically permits the use of one of either phenylbutazone or, flunixin (but not concurrently), or ketoprofen in racehorses in the quantities provided for in this chapter.

B. Quantitative testing. Any horse to which phenylbutazone or, flunixin, or ketoprofen has been administered shall be subject to testing at the direction of the commission veterinarian to determine the quantitative levels of phenylbutazone and, flunixin, and ketoprofen or the presence of other substances which that may be present.

C. Disciplinary actions. The stewards may take disciplinary actions for reports of quantitative testing by the primary testing laboratory for levels of phenylbutazone quantified at levels above 2.0 micrograms per milliliter of serum or plasma or, flunixin quantified at levels above 20 ng per milliliter of serum or plasma, or ketoprofen quantified at levels above 10 ng per milliliter of serum or plasma in horses following races, qualifying races, and official timed workouts for the stewards or commission veterinarian, and may use the most recent revision of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances and the Multiple Violations Penalty System as a guide. The stewards, in their discretion, may impose other more stringent disciplinary actions against trainers or other permit holders who violate the provisions under which phenylbutazone or, flunixin, or ketoprofen is permitted by the commission.

11VAC10-180-75. Androgenic and anabolic steroids.

A. All androgenic and anabolic steroids are prohibited in racing horses, except as provided below.

B. Residues of the major metabolite of stanozolol, nandrolone, boldenone and testosterone at concentrations less than the thresholds indicated below are permitted in test samples collected from racing horses.

C. Concentrations of these substances identified in subsection B of this section shall not exceed the following total threshold concentrations (i.e., free drug or metabolite and drug or metabolite liberated from its conjugates):

1. Metabolite of stanozolol (16Beta-hydroxystanozolol) – 25 Stanozolol – 100 pg/ml in serum or plasma or 1 ng/ml in urine for all horses regardless of gender.

2. Boldenone – 200 250 pg/ml in serum or plasma or 15 ng/ml in urine in male horses other than geldings. No boldenone is permitted in geldings or female horses for all horses regardless of gender.

3. Nandrolone:.

a. 50 100 pg/ml in serum or plasma or 1 ng/ml in urine in geldings, fillies, and mares.

b. 50 pg/ml in serum or plasma or 45 ng/ml in urine in male horses other than geldings.

c. b. Male horses other than geldings will not be tested for nandrolone.

4. Testosterone.

a. 25 100 pg/ml in serum or plasma or 20 ng/ml in urine in geldings, fillies, and mares.

b. 25 pg/ml in serum or plasma or 55 ng/ml in urine in fillies and mares.

c. b. Male horses other than geldings will not be tested for testosterone.

D. The presence of more than one of the four substances identified in subsection B of this section at concentrations greater than the individual thresholds indicated in subsection C of this section or a combination of any two or more substances recognized as androgenic or anabolic is prohibited.

E. Test samples collected from male horses other than geldings The gender of each horse must be so identified for test samples submitted to the laboratory.

F. Any horse administered an androgenic or anabolic steroid to assist in the recovery from illness or injury may be placed on the veterinarian's list in order to monitor the concentration of the drug or metabolite in urine in serum or plasma. After the concentration has fallen below the designated threshold, the horse is eligible to be removed from the list.

G. The stewards may take disciplinary actions for reports of quantitative testing by the primary testing laboratory indicating the presence of one or more androgenic or anabolic steroid at concentrations above the individual thresholds indicated in subsection C of this section and may use the most recent revision of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances and the Multiple Violations Penalty System as a guide.

11VAC10-180-80. Permitted race day substances.

A. Generally. The following substances that have been determined to be solely for the benefit and welfare of the horse, nonperformance altering, of no danger to riders/drivers, and unlikely to interfere with the detection of prohibited substances, may be administered to a horse on race day are: Intravenous commercially available electrolyte solutions including calcium and magnesium, but not including bicarbonate, providing such administration is a minimum of three hours prior to the post time for that horse's race and administered under veterinary supervision within the limits of this chapter Furosemide shall be the only medication permitted to be administered on race day and only to those horses eligible for furosemide treatment as designated by the bleeder list and furosemide list described in subsection B of this section.

B. Bleeder medications. By this regulation, the Virginia Racing Commission specifically permits the use of bleeder medications in only those horses that:

1. Have been placed on the bleeders list by the stewards;

2. Have raced on furosemide in another jurisdiction on the last previous start in a pari-mutuel race, as indicated by the past performance chart or by verification by the commission veterinarian from that racing jurisdiction, or both; or

3. Have been placed on the furosemide list by the stewards. A horse is eligible for inclusion on the furosemide list if the licensed trainer and a licensed veterinarian determine it is in the horse's best interest to race with furosemide, and the prescribed commission form is presented to the commission veterinarian prior to the close of entries for the horse's race. A horse placed on the furosemide list without demonstrating an episode of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage is not restricted from racing for the usual recovery period described in 11VAC10-180-85 D. However, any future episode of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage shall be considered a reoccurrence of bleeding for the purpose of determining restrictions from racing, as provided in this chapter.

a. A trainer or owner may discontinue the administration of furosemide to his racehorse only with the permission of the stewards. The request must be submitted in writing on forms prescribed by the commission and prior to entering the horse in a race.

b. A horse removed from the furosemide list may not be placed back on the furosemide list for a period of 60 calendar days unless the horse suffers an external bleeding incident witnessed by the commission veterinarian or his designee. In such case, the horse shall be placed on the bleeders list as though that bleeding incident was a reoccurrence of bleeding and subjected to a minimum 30-day or 90-day restriction for recovery as provided in this chapter.

C. Furosemide.

1. Procedures for usage. The use of furosemide shall be on race day is permitted by the commission only in horses eligible to receive bleeder medications and under the following circumstances:

a. Furosemide shall be administered by a single dose intravenously no less than four hours prior to post time within the enclosure of the horse race facility by a veterinarian who is a permit holder shall be specifically designated by the commission to administer furosemide.

b. The furosemide dosage administered shall not exceed 10 ml (500 mg) and shall not be less than 3 ml (150 mg).

c. The veterinarian administering the furosemide shall deliver a furosemide treatment report to the commission no later than two hours prior to post time. The furosemide treatment report shall contain the following:

(1) The trainer's name, date, horse's name, and horse's identification number;

(2) The time furosemide was administered to the horse;

(3) The dosage level administered for this race;

(4) The barn and stall number; and

(5) The signature of the practicing veterinarian, who is a permit holder.

2. Furosemide quantification. Furosemide levels must not exceed 100 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) of serum or plasma and urine specific gravity measuring 1.010 or lower. Furosemide must be present in the serum or plasma or urine of any horse that has been designated in the program as being treated with furosemide.

D. Disciplinary actions.

1. For the first violation of the regulation pertaining to furosemide quantification (subdivision C 2 of this section), the stewards shall issue a written reprimand to the trainer and to the practicing veterinarian, if applicable.

2. For the second violation of the regulation pertaining to furosemide quantification (subdivision C 2 of this section), the stewards shall fine the trainer, practicing veterinarian or both an amount not to exceed $500.

3. For the third violation of the regulation pertaining to furosemide quantification (subdivision C 2 of this section) within a 365-day period, the stewards shall suspend or fine the trainer, practicing veterinarian, or both, not to exceed $1,000 and 15 days.

4. The stewards, in their discretion, may impose other more stringent disciplinary actions against trainers or other permit holders who violate the provisions under which furosemide is permitted by the commission, regardless of whether or not the same horse is involved.

E. Adjunct bleeder medications. The Virginia Racing Commission permits the use of no more than one adjunct bleeder medication in horses that receive furosemide as provided for in this chapter. Such medications, if administered to a horse, must be administered on race day no less than three hours before post time. Permissible adjunct bleeder medications and maximum dosages are: prohibits the use of bleeder adjunct medication on race day.

1. Conjugated estrogens, not to exceed 25 milligrams.

2. Aminocaproic acid, not to exceed 2.5 grams.

3. Tranexamic acid, not to exceed 1 gram.

4. Carbazochrome, not to exceed 5 milliliters.

F. Program designation. The licensee shall be responsible for designating in the program those horses racing on furosemide. The designation shall also include those horses making their first start while racing on furosemide. In the event there is an error, the licensee shall be responsible for making an announcement to be made over the public address system and taking other means to correct the information published in the program.

G. Discontinue use of furosemide. A trainer or owner may discontinue the administration of furosemide to his horse only with the permission of the stewards and prior to entering the horse in a race.

FORMS (11VAC10-180)

Universal Bleeder Certificate - Examination Report for Excercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (eff. 9/09)

Chain of Custody Form (eff. 2/10)

Test Barn Daily Log (eff. 2/10)

Request to Add Horse to the Furosemide List (rev. 12/13)

Request to Remove Horse from the Furosemide Program (eff. 9/09)

Test Barn Samples Log (eff. 2/10)

Test Barn Freezer Log (eff. 2/10)