Silent Majority of Horsemen Overwhelmingly Support Race-Day Lasix

FHBPA

The Florida HBPA has been calling account holders with the Horsemen’s Bookkeepers Office, which the FHBPA operates, to update addresses and capture email addresses for several months. At the same time, they ask the account holder one simple question: “What is your position on race-day Lasix?” There are three possible answers: “I support it, I’m against it, or I have no opinion.”

Through mid-September 1,068 account holders have been called with each account holder permitted one vote. In other words, if a horseperson was involved in 5 different accounts, he/she would only be entitled to one vote. At this time, of those that have an opinion on the use of race-day Lasix 90.5 percent support its use while less than 9.5 percent oppose its use.

FHBPA Executive Director, Kent Stirling, said, “We began this study because we kept hearing from those that opposed race-day Lasix that we didn’t really represent the true opinion of our membership. Since well over 80 percent of our account holders are owners, it was great to see that we really did represent the opinion of those owners and trainers who are actively racing their horses at Gulfstream Park.”

The actual totals were: 817 in support, 86 against and 165 with no opinion. This means that even if one were to couple those who voted against Lasix with those with no opinion that still 75.5 percent of the account holders would be in favor of race-day Lasix. “The ‘vocal minority’ makes a lot of noise with no surveys to back up their assumptions, but now the ‘silent majority’ has had an opportunity to speak, and they have spoken loud and clearly. I think any survey of those with actual ‘skin’ in the game done in any other jurisdiction would bear the same results,” said Stirling.