Dutrow a no show

[sighthound]

Dr. Soma is a veterinary pharmacologist in a university setting.

He quotes the study that shows that horses that receive lasix run more races over their careers, and are more likely to finish in the top three finishers in their races.

So that\'s the \"performance enhancing\" part (you don\'t bleed into your lungs, you can breath, thus you can continue to run)

He also said, oddly, that, \"using lasix \'violates the medication rules of most states that says no meds should be used on race day\'.    

I can only assume he doesn\'t realize that where lasix is used, it is because it is a legally permitted exception, and is given by vets who report the time and dosage to the track.

He also said lasix is a diuretic that can dilute other drugs in the urine, but then mentioned that with current detection methods it\'s not really a problem.

He noted that furosemide used to reduce pulmonary arterial pressures thus reducing bleeding, but then said that the reduction in pulmonary pressure due to lasix is not of significant magnitude to prevent or reduce bleeding (but in practice it does allow bleeders to run without bleeding)
 
You can listen to the hearings webcast archived here and form your own opinion: http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ctcp-hrg.061908.Horseracing.shtml

The congressmen didn\'t seem to like hearing anything positive (they ignored it), as it didn\'t fit into the hearing purpose of painting all owners, trainers and vets as so callus and abusive of our horses, that the feds must step in and control the sport.

Which they definitely plan to do.