PETA Statement: Racing Coalition’s New Rules

For Immediate Release:
April 18, 2019

Contact:
David Pere 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo on the just-announced Lasix phase-out for horseracing tracks in Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, and Texas:

It took 23 dead horses on one track, but we were sure that the racing industry could change if it wanted to—and phasing out Lasix for stakes races and 2-year-olds is an excellent first step in what must be an ongoing overhaul of racing rules nationwide. PETA thanks the New York Racing Association, Churchill Downs Incorporated, the Stronach Group, and Del Mar, Keeneland, Oaklawn, and the other tracks that are now leading the way and urges them to ban Lasix for all races, in addition to taking five more immediate steps: ban all medications in the two weeks before a race, ban trainers with multiple medication violations, mandate complete public transparency of injury and medication records, end whipping, and switch to high-quality synthetic tracks.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.