With the large concentration of graded stakes races scheduled for spring and summer, The Jockey Club is reminding regulatory authorities and racetracks that it has budgeted another $250,000 in grants for out-of-competition testing to supplement the efforts of racetracks that will be hosting graded stakes races in 2015.

The funding is designed to encourage more out-of-competition testing for the presence of blood doping agents as well as Association of Racing Commissioners International Class 1 substances.

Racetracks in California, Florida, Kentucky, and New York as well the Canadian province of Ontario (Woodbine) participated in the program in 2014.

Gulfstream Park was the first racetrack to use the Graded Stakes Out-of-Competition Testing Grant Fund, which was announced at The Jockey Club’s Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing in August 2013. At that time, The Jockey Club committed to out-of-competition funding of $250,000 for both 2014 and 2015