HALLANDALE BEACH, FL (December 18, 2020) – 1/ST RACING announced today that 2021 stakes races run at the company’s premier Florida racetrack Gulfstream Park will be carded Lasix-free effective January 1. The move to medication-free racing reflects the commitment made in April 2019 by 1/ST, along with other major racing organizations and associations, to eliminate Lasix in all stakes races in 2021 and is consistent with the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA) standards.
Gulfstream Park will be the first racetrack in Florida to move to medication-free racing. The medication-free format for stakes races will apply to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) set to take place on January 23 as well as to the beloved Florida Derby (G1) and Fountain of Youth (G2), held annually at Gulfstream Park.
In 2020, the administration of race day Lasix was also banned for two-year-old horses entered at any of 1/ST RACING’s racetracks, including at California’s Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields and at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course in Maryland.
1/ST has been at the forefront of industry-leading efforts to prioritize the health and safety of horses and riders and is committed to the care of Thoroughbreds before, during and after their racing careers.
