HISA Board Set to Vote May 22 on Nationwide Race-Day Lasix Ban

HISA's Board of Directors is set to decide on May 22, 2026 whether race-day furosemide, commonly called Lasix, will be banned in all races nationwide, a move that would expand current restrictions and reshape medication policy across U.S. racing. Bill Finley reported that "Since the inception of HISA, the diuretic Lasix (also known as furosemide) has been banned in all 2-year-old races and in stakes races. But that may be about to change. On May 22, HISA's nine-member Board of Directors will take a vote on whether or not the medication should be banned in all races."

The decision is tied to statute and HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program timeline: "The Committee will send a recommendation to the HISA Board of Directors, who will make their decision with due consideration to the facts and science. In accordance with the Act, the decision will be made by May 22, 2026–three years after the launch of the Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program." The Committee referenced in that statement is not identified in the available reporting, but its recommendation will precede the board vote.

The procedural threshold reported in current accounts places the burden on the board to preserve the status quo. As reported, "On that date, unless the board votes unanimously to continue the status quo, the medication will be banned." HISA retains the option to temper any change: "The board could also make any number of recommendations for modifications to the current provisions. To the extent that there is any change, the ban would not be immediate, and there would be a period of time for educational efforts to take place, according to HISA."

Industry pushback crystallized in a letter described in recent reporting that "questioned the need for a complete ban of Lasix." The letter was "sent out Wednesday" and was signed by trainers and officials Bill Mott, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Jena Antonucci and Ron Moquett, along with Eric Hamelback, CEO of the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association. The timing of "Wednesday" and the full text of the letter have not been published in the material reviewed here.

The HISA Board roster that will make the final call includes Charles Scheeler, Steve Beshear, Adolpho Birch, Leonard Coleman, Joe De Francis, Terri Mazur, Susan Stover, Bill Thomason and D.G. Van Clief. Aside from the formal filings and letter, one unattributed passage in the reporting captured industry sentiment toward current policy: "What they're doing now seems to be working fine," he said. "I think everyone has kind of found a way to compromise, and what they've done is a good compromise. The platform that HISA ran on was one where they were going to allow some flexibility on the Lasix, and so I think they'd lose some goodwill turning back on that."

With the May 22 deadline fixed by the Act, the immediate calendar now centers on the Committee recommendation and the board meeting. If the board votes to ban race-day Lasix, HISA has said any change would include a non-immediate implementation window and an educational period; if the board votes unanimously to preserve current rules, the status quo for 2-year-old and stakes race restrictions would remain in place.