Horsemen will pay more to offset the cost of equine drug testing under a resolution adopted by the Ohio State Racing Commission (OSRC) June 27.

The Ohio Revised Code calls for the cost of one drug test per race to come from purse accounts for Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing. Overall, drug testing costs about $1 million a year in the state, the OSRC said.

Currently, $40 a race is deducted from purses for Thoroughbred races. Under the resolution, the amount will increase to $68 from July 1 through Oct. 31, 2013; $96 from Nov. 1, 2013 through Feb. 28, 2014; and $124 from March 1 through June 30, 2014. Beginning July 1 of next year, the drug-test deduction per race will be an average of actual testing costs for 2013, the OSRC said.

For harness racing, the deduction will go from the current amount of $54.50 per race to $130 per race effective March 1, 2014

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