Press Release:
The nation’s oldest continuously run Futurity has undergone a major change in conditions for 2018.
The Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association Board of Directors, operating under the belief that there are many owners racing Quarter Horses that would prefer to participate in an Open to the World Futurity and Derby with stringent drug testing requirements, has implemented very stringent requirements for drug testing in an effort to make the playing field as level as possible. The Oklahoma Futurity and Derby are both open races and any horse is eligible to enter, the races are not restricted to Oklahoma bred horses. There will be $100,000 added to each final. There is also a $50,000 guaranteed juvenile for eligible futurity horses.
After an open horsemen’s meeting in July, it was apparent that many of our members want OQHRA to offer a race where every eligible horse is drug tested prior to being allowed to participate. A task force was created to work with the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission to develop conditions that the OHRC would approve and that committee worked diligently to meet all the proposed requirements of the commissioners and their attorneys.
“To be very clear,” said Debbie Schauf, OQHRA Executive Director, “the testing is not conducted by either Remington Park where the races will run, or the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission.
“All specimen collections will be done by qualified veterinarians retained by OQHRA, and all testing will be done by an accredited laboratory selected by OQHRA.
“I strongly urge every owner to read the conditions and be aware of the testing requirements when they nominate horses.”
When making the initial nomination payment for every nominated horse, the owner or nominator must include an additional $350 for drug testing. EVERY HORSE that remains eligible after the January 20, 2018, payment will be drug tested. Each horse will have two biologic samples (Hair and Blood) collected and every horse will be tested for prohibited drugs, including but not limited to Clenbuterol, Zilpaterol, and Ractopimine.
Horses failing to comply with testing will be ineligible to enter the trials and horses failing to receive a negative result from testing will also be ineligible to enter the trials. There will be no refunds of nomination or sustaining fees or drug testing fees in the event a nominated horse does not remain eligible or comply with the testing requirements. Any funds remaining after the conclusion of the drug testing will be added to the purse of the final in both the Futurity and the Derby.
Every owner/nominator will also be required to sign the original nomination form for each horse they pay into these races.
The nomination forms will be published in the September issues of Speedhorse and Track magazines and will also be available on the OQHRA website at www.oqhra.com under the Racing tab. For more information you may contact Debbie at OQHRA oqhra@aol.com or 405-216-0440.
