Non-Lasix Users Get Weight Break In The Pegasus
 

It's a 7-pound weight break! Here's a link to it:

http://www.gulfstreampark.com/docs/default-source/condition-books/book-3.pdf

This will be interesting to see how many take the weight break.

This should be done in all graded stakes races - on a staggered basis: 7 lbs. in Grade 1 stakes, 5 lbs. in Grade 2 stakes, and 3 lbs. in Grade 3 stakes.

This is very interesting, seems odd to break it out only for the most prestigious race of the meet. Why not give it a shot throughout the condition book? Kind of how like the Breeders Cup went lasix free a few years ago but I don't remember that applying anywhere else.



I also was surprised to see the race open to 3 year olds, but I guess if you pay those sort of entry fees they'll let you do what you want. A non-lasix 3yo would carry 101 lbs, would that ever be enough of a break to entice anyone with a youngster? Any respectable jock capable of making anywhere near that weight?

My thoughts exactly. Getting a journeyman to tack at a -7# could be dicey? Pretty soon the jocks will be on lasix.

Any foreign turf horses considering/committed this year?

That was the first thought (rather than rewarding the rare 'non-Lasix' horse or encouraging a 'lasix-off' change).

Last year we had Toast of New York (on L), but no Euro/Foreign 'turf' shippers per se


edit - Isn't at least one Caribbean horse entering? Will he race w/out L?

Didn't they offer the same thing last year and nobody took the bait?

Good memory - I just checked it out - same deal last year - no one took "advantage" of it. In 2017, GP offered a 5-pound no-Lasix waiver and one horse raced without it.

Most horses lose a lot more than 7 pounds after being treated with lasix.

New Furosemide Research Reveals Unexpected Impacts Of The Medication:
https://www.paulickreport.com/horse-...he-medication/



-jp

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That's like a 225 lbs. man losing about 6 lbs. in 4 hours. Is that significant? It seems to me that it could be. It at least explains the recovery time needed.....maybe. Seems significant, but not sure how significant.

I don't really think this an apples to apples comparison. If I lose 10 pounds but carry 10 extra running a 100 meters, will my time be the same as before, faster, or slower? I don't know the answer but I highly doubt it is a one to one relationship.

I think trainers think the performance enhancing effect of Lasix (be it from weight loss or whatever) is greater than any advantage gained by carrying less weight in the saddle, and I tend to agree with them. This is why nobody tried it last year, and probably won't this year. I also suspect this is why 95% of the horses in this country run with the drug.

has anybody ever been able to tack 101 lbs?

I had the same thought - definitely a question for a guy like Cratos.

Hard pass.

It's worth at least entertaining the possibility that trainers feel that there is enough of a chance that their horse will bleed without Lasix that it's worth the extra weight to minimize that chance.

It's not all nefarious.