Churchill Downs to require pre-race milkshake testing

Churchill Downs announced Monday that every horse will undergo pre-race

testing during the 2005

Spring Meet for alkalizing agents known as "milkshakes" -- typically a mixture of bicarbonate soda, sugar and electrolytes that increase the level

of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream, which curbs the buildup of lactic acid in

muscles and wards off fatigue. The new policy requires

each horse entered in a race during the meet to report to the track's detention barn 45 minutes

before a race for a blood test.

"The milkshake testing program introduced by Churchill Downs is important to

both our horsemen and our patrons, who deserve every assurance that the

integrity of our sport is our top priority and that horses competing at our

track are doing so on a level playing field," Churchill President Steve Sexton

said. "The effort to halt the practice of milkshaking is just one front in the

effort to implement strong medication standards throughout our industry, but it

is an important step."

Horses found to have a blood serum total carbon dioxide (TC02)

level of 37 millimoles per liter of plasma or higher will be in violation of the

track's policy.

For the first offense, a trainer must place any subsequent

horses entered under 24-hour surveillance for the rest of

the meet. If a second offense occurs, that trainer will be labeled a "persistent

offender" and barred from racing any horses at Churchill for 30

days. A third positive test for milkshaking results in the trainer

being expelled from the grounds for a year and prohibits that trainer

from entering any horse at any of the Churchill Downs Incorporated tracks for

six months.

"The stiff penalties for violators of this policy should be interpreted by

all as an indication of the seriousness of our intent to eliminate the practice

of milkshaking and there should be no doubt that those penalties will be

enforced," Sexton said.

Horses entered in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) will be

exempt from visiting the detention barn, but will have to provide

blood samples from their respective barns.