Schenectady, NY --- The New York State Racing and Wagering Board Chairman John D. Sabini announced today that strict new rules banning the administration of certain anabolic steroids to both Thoroughbred and Standardbred race horses will take effect in New York on January 1, 2009.

“New York’s new rule is just the right prescription to counter the use of unnecessary steroids while ensuring violators will be held accountable when caught,” Chairman Sabini said. “I am very pleased that there is broad support for our rules among key racing industry stakeholders. We have served notice that there will be no grace period when this rule goes into effect on New Year’s Day. Our stewards will be poised to initiate disciplinary action when they encounter horses that test positive for illegal steroids. Let there be no doubt we mean business.”

Racing Board Member Daniel D. Hogan said: “Doing more to improve the integrity of racing is crucial to maintaining the confidence of the betting public in the sport. Today, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board is taking a giant step in this direction by adopting a rule we plan to enforce most vigorously.”

Racing Board Member John B. Simoni said: “The best menu for a horse is hay, water and oats. Steroids do not belong in the mix. My goal for a long time has been an industry that is free of drugs.”

The new rules would allow thresholds for each of four steroids that are approved by the FDA for therapeutic applications in animals and horses. They allow only one of the four to be found in a horse at any given time.

The restricted steroids and the concentrations that are allowed are as follows: stanozolol (Winstrol), one nanogram per milliliter of urine; boldenone (Equipose), for male horses other than geldings, 15 ng/ml; nandrolone (Durabolin), one ng/ml; and testosterone, 20 ng/ml in geldings and 55 ng/ml in fillies and mares. Veterinarians have indicated that the  permitted small concentrations of the four specific steroids would not be enough to affect the performance of a horse, Chairman Sabini stated.

The new rules govern racing at all thoroughbred and harness tracks in New York. They mirror standards supported by the Racing Medication Testing Consortium and the Association of Racing Commissioners International. Chairman Sabini said the new rules will be published in the State Register on December 31, allowing them to go into effect January 1, 2009.