During a meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville Aug. 24, about three dozen horsemen told representatives of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) it should delay out-of-competition drug testing.

Citing the many aspects of the proposed regulation they find troubling, the trainers, owners, veterinarians, and representatives of horsemen's groups at the meeting requested that the regulatory body hold off on implementing the regulation until they have had more time to review and comment on the proposals.

Under out-of-competition testing, a racing jurisdiction is permitted to test horses that are located off premises under certain conditions. The tests are designed to detect performance- enhancing drugs that cannot be found using post-race urine and blood testing, according to Mary Scollay-Ward, DVM, equine medical director for the KHRC.

The regulations are being implemented in Kentucky under an emergency provision that would permit them to be in effect in time for the Nov. 5-6 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs. Breeders' Cup has employed out-of-competition testing for the World Championships in New Jersey and California the last three years