New York launched its split sample program started on opening day at Aqueduct Racetrack, in Queens.

Horsemen racing at New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks now have assurance that, in the event of a positive drug test, they have the option of sending a referee sample to an independent laboratory to verify results.

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) is funding the dedicated refrigerators for the storage of the referee samples at the three NYRA tracks, the extra tubes and labels required, and the service to dispose of the blood once tests for the initial sample have cleared.

Dr. Kyle Moyer, of the New York State Gaming Commission, who oversees the testing barn at Aqueduct, explained the protocol for the collection of referee samples