Lasix

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) was back in the news earlier this month when the HISA Board of Directors ruled that there would be no change to the status quo when it came to the rules regarding Lasix. That decision came after HISA commissioned a number of studies to look into the effects of the medication. To discuss the Lasix decision, another drop in the number of fatalities, the controversies surrounding why so many pre-race vet reviews are leading to scratches, the HERF initiative and more, HISA CEO...

On this week's TDN Writers' Room, HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus discussed recent developments like the Lasix vote, the controversy over regulatory vet scratches, and the historically low injury rates under HISA.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Board of Directors has voted unanimously to make no changes to the current rules regarding the use of the medication Lasix, it was announced Tuesday. With the decision from the nine-member Board of Directors, Lasix will still be banned in 2-year-old races and stakes races in all states that fall under HISA's jurisdiction. Had the board voted otherwise, the diuretic would have been banned in all races. When HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program was launched on May 23, 2023.  it ushered in...

Gary Biszantz, who bought his first Thoroughbred for $400 at age 21 in 1956 and was still active in the sport nearly 70 years later, passed away Saturday afternoon after an accidental fall, according to Mike Owens, long-time manager of his Cobra Farm. Owens added that Biszantz's wife, Betty, and six daughters were all with him at the time. Biszantz was 91. Biszantz established Cobra Farm in the 90s, selling it last year after enjoying 480 winners, 32 in stakes and four at Grade I level, and twice went down...

On May 22, the HISA Board of Directors will take a vote that could result in the ban of Lasix in all races. Any decision made by the Board, whether to keep the rules as they are, or to enact a full ban, must be unanimous. In response, five trainers and Eric Hamelback, the CEO of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, signed a letter imploring HISA to continue to allow the use of the medication in most races. Trainer Ron Moquett was among those signing the letter. To...

Trainer Ron Moquett joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to weigh in on HISA's impending vote on race-day Lasix and the open letter he recently co-signed on the subject.

With the upcoming HISA vote set to determine the fate of Lasix in the U.S., the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association conducted a survey of its membership seeking input on how the expiration of the Lasix exemption, and the possibility of a complete ban on the drug on race day, could impact their operations and the industry at large. The results of the survey were published in the organization's 2026 Winter newsletter. Among the respondents, 123, or 80.9%, reported they would be likely to race less if a total ban...

Anytime Bill Mott and Mark Casse have something to say I pay attention...and they have weighed in on the importance of maintaining use of furosemide (Lasix) on race day as a help in preventing pulmonary bleeding during races. I agree with them...but with one condition. Horses who receive Lasix should carry more weight. Bill and Mark and the other trainers speaking out contend that Lasix should be allowed until scientific studies can provide definitive proof that Lasix is a "performance-enhancing drug." As a former National Defense Research Fellow during my...

Since the inception of HISA, the diuretic Lasix (also known as furosemide) has been banned in all 2-year-old races and in stakes races. But that may be about to change. On May 22, HISA's nine-member Board of Directors will take a vote on whether or not the medication should be banned in all races. On that date, unless the board votes unanimously to continue the status quo, the medication will be banned. The board could also make any number of recommendations for modifications to the current provisions. To the extent...

Editor's note: Currently, in HISA states, Lasix is banned in two-year-old racing and in stakes races 48 hours before a race. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) is approaching a critical vote regarding the use of race-day Lasix in the rest of racing. Per the original Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020, the drug is effectively banned under that same 48-hour rule, though most states currently operate under a three-year exemption put in place to allow time for studies to be conducted. That exemption is now coming to...

Pomona Fairgrounds, 1956. Abandoning his hopes of becoming an attorney, Gary Biszantz was going home to try to turn round his father's automobile dealership in Los Angeles. He broke his journey at a horse sale, having loved Thoroughbreds since being taken racing as a kid, when he would stand on a chair and marvel at "the epitome of strength, speed, skill and style." "And the guy next to me puts up his hand at $400 and the auctioneer says: 'Sold!'" Biszantz recalls. "The guy looks at me and says, 'Would...

The submission deadline for HISA's furosemide request for proposals (RFP) has been extended to Nov. 22 from the original date of Oct. 15. The proposals should address furosemide's effects on horse health and racing performance. Click here for more information, including contact information, and here for the application.