Replying to Charlie Boden:
Darley send stallions to our farm in Australia each year. This year shuttlers include Street Cry, Bernardini, Medaglia d'Oro, Street Sense, Hard Spun, Street Boss, Henny Hughes, Any Given Saturday and returning to his home base will be Lonhro who shuttled to the USA from Australia for the current Northern Hemisphere breeding season.

Is that a lineup of American greats or what??? Street Cry is Zenyatta's daddy, Bernardini sired Zenny's first foal...and on and on...Medaglia D'oro alone is gold. Hope their foals are beautiful and healthy!! Glad our boys are back home!

Replying to Barbara Grimaldi:
When I visited Darley, all their key stallions (except Holy Bull) were in the Southern Hemisphere--including Bernardini, Street Cry, etc. I believe those two were in Australia for about 6 months. If I am incorrect, please let me know. Thank you.

Darley send stallions to our farm in Australia each year. This year shuttlers include Street Cry, Bernardini, Medaglia d'Oro, Street Sense, Hard Spun, Street Boss, Henny Hughes, Any Given Saturday and returning to his home base will be Lonhro who shuttled to the USA from Australia for the current Northern Hemisphere breeding season.

Replying to James Robison:
the reason you no longer need to buy American bloodstock is that Australian stock is totally saturated with "American stock" as it is mostly through stallions shuttling. Thoroughbreds are not "genetically weaken" by attempts to control exercise induced pulmonary bleeding, they are nothing but stronger then ever. Racing is a demanding physical activity. The legacy of the great "American" stallions, Lexington, Ultimus, Man O' War, Native Dancer, Northern Dancer, Mr. Prospector, Danzig, Secretariat, Bold Ruler, Storm Cat live on even in Australia where the incomparable Black Caviar races on as one for the ages.

When I visited Darley, all their key stallions (except Holy Bull) were in the Southern Hemisphere--including Bernardini, Street Cry, etc. I believe those two were in Australia for about 6 months. If I am incorrect, please let me know. Thank you.

Replying to giles mcgregor:
Barbara:Horses currently on Lasix should be allowed to finish their careers on it. New horses will have to be trained differently. For some horses lasix will still be used for training, removed for racing, then back on. Ones that bleed too much probably never get to races or even beyond breaking. Sorry, but they could end up in zoos or feeding Euros (they need their strength to help Greece and Spain). Hopefully as someone's trail horse or backyard friend, instead.

I totally agree with you.

Replying to binky mcfadden:
Conventional wisdom accepts that because overseas horses race without lasix, they are superior. It is one argument for banning race day lasix here. Could we be ignoring the REAL reasons that horses overseas (including U.S bred) can race without lasix?

1. There is less emphasis overseas on pushing immature horses to run as fast and hard as they can, over short distances. The process until they retire.

2. There are significantly fewer sprints which do not allow a horse to truly warm up or settle, and which push them to the limit almost the entire way.

3. There are more route races which require different training regimens.

4. Where track and farm locations permit, horses are vanned or walked to the track. Most are kept on the farms between races with turn out, gallops up and down hills, hacking through woods or countryside. They receive more time off

5. There is less drug use in general. Vets don't pump horses full of other needless, harmful meds and convince trainers that it will give them an edge.

6. There is less need for lasix to overcome the effects of the short-sighted (pun intended) training techniques and racing conditions found here.

7. There are fewer races. There is little or no year round racing. Shorter meets.

8. Grass

Conventional Wisdom: Lasix is required to run in hot, humid climates in the U.S. European weather is different.

1. Hong Kong and Singapore.

2. U.S. horses running and winning in UAE without lasix.

Conventional Wisdom: Lasix results in genetic modifications that pass on bleeding and reduces foreign demand for our yearlings.

1. Lasix does not hurt our yearling market and evidence is incomplete on the genetic consequences. Foreign buyers continue to cherry-pick our yearlings, and limit most of their business to the upper-end of the market. They buy our best, regardless of "American bleeders".

2. When they go overseas much of our bloody bloodstock race without lasix (What?) Lasix and unsubstantiated genetic modification are given too much blame.

3. Foreign jurisdictions except Hong Kong and Germany permit lasix for training only. It is used much less frequently, but some horses get it.

4. How much is too much and how much has no long term effects? The French, British, Australians, et al; nor the Americans have the answer. (Is anyone else old enough to remember the ban on “cancer causing” saccharin? It apparently can cause cancer if you ingest several buckets full daily.)

Lasix is used to save the horses in the U.S. from widespread bad training and racing practices. Trainers, who would otherwise do without it, use it to avoid a disadvantage. Address the bad practices, eliminate the need.

Conventional wisdom; Going along with the crowd. Accepting what is commonplace, thought lacking in originality

Great points. By analogy, let me illustrate the basic cause of bad training which characterizes the basis for all arguments in favor of lasix. Have you ever blown up a balloon? Blow it up too fast, and it pops. Inflate an identical balloon slowly and it will be much larger, so thin that you can see through it.

Alveoi which suddenly are inflated burst in the same manner. Inflate them regularly, and slowy, and the alveoli develop greater air capacity. This inflation,repeated over time, allows greater lung capacity, and resilience, in the lungs; this,in the same manner as in balloons. Giving the horse time to recover from this inflation prevents over-working. Check out the training regimen for previous champions in the past, and you will see rigorous workouts designed to inflate the deepest reaches of the lungs, without bleeding to any great extent. Work them five furlongs, then run them a mile, and most will bleed. Drugs are unnecessary, and a substitute for proper training. Drugs are a cruel excuse for knowledge.

James is absolutely right. The notion that somehow U.S. horses are genetically inferior is just nonsense. There no non-anecdotal evidence. To the contrary, foreigners still buy U.S. horses, although there is less need for reasons James points out. Your bloodlines are full of U.S. stallions and dams. Your races are too.

From TODAY'S TDN:

Winner:

G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine

Elusive Kate (Elusive Quality)

Winner:

Shamaal Nibras, c, 3, First Samurai--Sashay Away, by

Farma Way. Sandown Park, 6-16, Hcp, 3yo,

7f 16ydsT. B-Andrew Cowen & Gary Tolchin.

Entry:P

3.25 Salisbury, Mdn, £4,500, 3yo, f, 1mT

ALBANKA (Giant’s Causeway)

Placed in Britain

3--Ultrasonic, 120, f, 3, Mizzen Mast--Quickfire (GB)

Placed in Britain

2--Doncaster Rover, 133, h, 6, War Chant—Rebridled

Dreams, by Unbridled=s Song. ($45,000 yrl >07

Entry:

Prix de Diane Longines – GI, Chantilly

Dalkala

(Giant’s Causeway--Daltaya {Fr}, by Anabaa)

This is just in Europe. There is nothing wrong with the breed here. They could run without lasix if training and races were changed.

Henrietta Bedford

Replying to binky mcfadden:
Conventional wisdom accepts that because overseas horses race without lasix, they are superior. It is one argument for banning race day lasix here. Could we be ignoring the REAL reasons that horses overseas (including U.S bred) can race without lasix?1. There is less emphasis overseas on pushing immature horses to run as fast and hard as they can, over short distances. The process until they retire.2. There are significantly fewer sprints which do not allow a horse to truly warm up or settle, and which push them to the limit almost the entire way. 3. There are more route races which require different training regimens.4. Where track and farm locations permit, horses are vanned or walked to the track. Most are kept on the farms between races with turn out, gallops up and down hills, hacking through woods or countryside. They receive more time off5. There is less drug use in general. Vets don't pump horses full of other needless, harmful meds and convince trainers that it will give them an edge.6. There is less need for lasix to overcome the effects of the short-sighted (pun intended) training techniques and racing conditions found here.7. There are fewer races. There is little or no year round racing. Shorter meets.8. GrassConventional Wisdom: Lasix is required to run in hot, humid climates in the U.S. European weather is different.1. Hong Kong and Singapore.2. U.S. horses running and winning in UAE without lasix.Conventional Wisdom: Lasix results in genetic modifications that pass on bleeding and reduces foreign demand for our yearlings.1. Lasix does not hurt our yearling market and evidence is incomplete on the genetic consequences. Foreign buyers continue to cherry-pick our yearlings, and limit most of their business to the upper-end of the market. They buy our best, regardless of "American bleeders". 2. When they go overseas much of our bloody bloodstock race without lasix (What?) Lasix and unsubstantiated genetic modification are given too much blame.3. Foreign jurisdictions except Hong Kong and Germany permit lasix for training only. It is used much less frequently, but some horses get it.4. How much is too much and how much has no long term effects? The French, British, Australians, et al; nor the Americans have the answer. (Is anyone else old enough to remember the ban on “cancer causing” saccharin? It apparently can cause cancer if you ingest several buckets full daily.) Lasix is used to save the horses in the U.S. from widespread bad training and racing practices. Trainers, who would otherwise do without it, use it to avoid a disadvantage. Address the bad practices, eliminate the need. Conventional wisdom; Going along with the crowd. Accepting what is commonplace, thought lacking in originality

Replying to Robert Roulston:
Lasix is used in some countries for training only ( eg Australia ) but our horses are not pushed as hard on the training track as US horses and rarely gallop flat out, save for the last couple of furlongs. They do a lot more long slow pacework, like European horses do.Allowing horses to race on Lasix where they are flat out, and under pressure for the whole race, only masks deficiencies. Breeding from this stock results in genetic weakness of the breed and is the reason that myself and others no longer buy US stock and now concentrate on European horses to supplememt our Australian bloodstock. Robert Roulston, Australian Bloodstock Agent

the reason you no longer need to buy American bloodstock is that Australian stock is totally saturated with "American stock" as it is mostly through stallions shuttling. Thoroughbreds are not "genetically weaken" by attempts to control exercise induced pulmonary bleeding, they are nothing but stronger then ever. Racing is a demanding physical activity. The legacy of the great "American" stallions, Lexington, Ultimus, Man O' War, Native Dancer, Northern Dancer, Mr. Prospector, Danzig, Secretariat, Bold Ruler, Storm Cat live on even in Australia where the incomparable Black Caviar races on as one for the ages.

Allowing horses to race on Lasix where they are flat out, and under pressure for the whole race, only masks deficiencies. Breeding from this stock results in genetic weakness of the breed and is the reason that myself and others no longer buy US stock and now concentrate on European horses to supplememt our Australian bloodstock. Robert Roulston, Australian Bloodstock Agent