Date Posted: 6/13/2012 3:06:50 PM Last Updated: 6/13/2012 3:14:21 PM

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, by a 7-5 vote with one abstention June 13, approved an administrative regulation that would ban the use of furosemide on race-day in graded and listed stakes over a three-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2014.

Under the regulation--which now must make its way through a lengthy legislative review process--furosemide, an anti-bleeding medication also known as Salix or Lasix, would not be permitted in graded or listed stakes for 2-year-olds in 2014. The prohibition would expand until it includes all horses in graded or listed stakes in Kentucky by 2016.

The regulation includes a penalty schedule for horses found to have Salix in their systems on race day.

The KRHC originally proposed to begin the phase-out of race-day Salix use in graded and listed stakes Jan. 1, 2013. Officials said the start date was pushed back a year because of the legislative approval process.

Commissioner Tom Ludt abstained from the vote.