Nasal Strip

[TJ]

As was the case with I'll Have Another, who raced with a nasal strip in winning both the Derby and Preakness....so did California Chrome. Of course O'Neil was in no shape to make an argument out of it at that time, as "Drug" O'Neil was his name in the media's focus. The NYRA, in it's expertise, of course have a rule against horses being permitted to race with a nasal strip. Why, I haven't the foggiest idea...maybe they would rather they use drugs to do what the nasal strip aids without it. This way they'll have something to do while keeping their eyes on the Belmont contenders in the security barn set up for them. What a joke!
It will be interesting to see if they take a stand against NYRA's idiotic rule and threaten to keep CC out of the Belmont Stakes if they don't allow him to run with a nasal strip. After all CC's part owner stayed away from the Preakness for fear of being as badly treated as they were at Churchill Downs....NYRA in all it's arrogance, could be just as common in their treatment of blue collar owners, with their cheaply bred horse. Phipps may be facing a dilemma...after back yard bred Fio Rito won the Whitney at Saratoga, he effectively destroyed small NY breeder's after lobbying to change the tax code, which put many small NY breeders out of business. Though he has a stake in California Chrome's breeding, since his dam is inbred to Phipps champion filly, Numbered Account. I wonder if they will put that nasal strip rule in the muck pit where it belongs or they (NY) will continue to rail against the small owner/breeder? TJ

[Cree]

How much does a nasal strip actually work? If it is performance enhancing, why isn't anyone else using it?
I kind of soured on them saying they may not run if he can't wear his strip. I don't completely agree with it being banned in NY, but really, is it really the reason this horse is winning?

[TJ]

How much does a nasal strip actually work? If it is performance enhancing, why isn't anyone else using it?
I kind of soured on them saying they may not run if he can't wear his strip. I don't completely agree with it being banned in NY, but really, is it really the reason this horse is winning?

Hi Cree,
When you train a horse through 6 consecutive wins using a nasal strip, trainers aren't usually inclined to want to make any changes. Neither are the owners in this case, as it was them who asked Sherman to use the nasal strip. It's just like years ago, prior to lasix and KY and MD allowed lasix and NY didn't. If two other TC sites are willing to allow the nasal strip why doesn't NY? It's just plain silly. Eventually NY fell into line with lasix or they would have continued to lose support in the Belmont Stakes. This nasal strip issue is just being arrogant, stubborn and totally ridiculous.
The nasal strip is useful in some horses and not so much in others. It's got a lot to do with the skin overlying the airways/nasal passages of individual horses. If you've ever seen a dead tired horse blowing real hard and notice significant movement of the thin skin around the airways on their face....those are horses that could benefit from the nasal strip. Other horses that may have a thicker skin surrounding their nasal passage would be of less benefit.
During exercise when horses begin to breathe hard this thin skin overlying the nasal passages are sucked in, slightly reducing the nasal passage diameter. This reduction in the size of the airway, causes a certain amount of resistance to airflow into the lungs. The Nasal strip support's the soft tissue over the nasal passages providing reduced airway resistance during exercise.
Does it make that big a difference....probably not....but you wouldn't consider removing it after 6 straight victory's.
Just for the heck of it, try this experiment. It convinced me to use the nasal strips for myself in sleeping through the night and when I'm doing strenuous exercise. OK, back to the experiment...inhale a couple times normally, then inhale a couple times deeply and quickly. You may feel a closing of your nostrils with the deep and quick respiration. That could indicate loose skin over your nasal passage. Now take the index fingers of you hands and lightly apply pressure at the point of your nose where you can feel the skin rather loose. Pull back and away from your nose and inhale deeply and you may be able to feel a slightly better and easier deep inhalation. This is what the nasal strip does for horses with thin, loose skin over their airway. If that doesn' work, take two aspirin and call me in the morning:>) TJ

[Cree]

That's interesting, and I think I will go out and buy some just to try.

This has now become an issue again for Doug O'Neill, who said that if CC can wear the strip in the Belmont, then he will ask to let Goldencents wear it in the Met Mile.

It is silly, like you said.

[Matchemforever]

According to a Bloodhorse article, http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... in-belmont

Sherman has asked to use one. It sounds like Sherman is just saying the "owners" may not race him, I haven't seen where Sherman said no.

What I find very interesting, is that it's allowed by the state, Standardbred racers can use the nasal strip, it's only the stewards under what I would consider a flaw in the law, that let's them ban it:

The nasal-strip prohibition does not come from the New York State Gaming Commission, whose predecessor, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, approved such use in October 1999. It allows nasal strips to be used in Standardbred racing.

The strips, however, have not been permitted at NYRA tracks at the discretion of stewards under a one-sentence, catch-all equipment state regulation that states: "Only equipment specifically approved by the stewards shall be worn or carried by a jockey or a horse in a race."


I think maybe it's time to make the nasal strip allowed across the board, not just at the discretion of a few stewards. Something is wrong if one standard is used for Standardbreds and another for Thoroughbreds. Really wrong....

[Des]

Why shouldn't he be treated as others have been treated.... Like others I am looking forward to the outcome of this. A reminder to the Chrome ... There are some Mighty Tall Buildings in the Apple....

[Cree]

Just read on the California Chrome Facebook page that he has been approved to wear the strip. I don't actually know how "official" that Facebook page is though.

[Georgerz]

There is an article today in the Bloodhorse that the Stewards have approved the use of the nasal strip for the colt.

[TJ]

Of course they had to approve it....this was not a State regulated rule, but a rule initiated by the stewards which have no authority to limit any equipment that a horse uses unless it is against the rules of racing and listed by the racing commission rules.....for instance mud caulks, jar caulks, length of toe grabs and the amount of bend on turndowns. I believe it was done to limit O'Neill's preference as well as the many west coast trainers who run using the nasal strip. The ruling they made against O'Neill not being allowed to use it on I'll Have Another was total BS and now because these working collar owners would have stayed the course and removed California Chrome from the Belmont, they caved in. It just proves the rule was biased and bogus from the beginning. TJ

[Patuxet]

I'd still like to know why NY owners and horsemen didn't legally challenge the inconsistency and patent inequity of nasal strips being allowed for Standardbred racing but not in Thoroughbred racing.

[Des]

They would have Stopped Doug O'Neil for using it though....

[TJ]

They would have Stopped Doug O'Neil for using it though....

Hi Des,
They would have and they did, he asked and the stewards turned him down. All the more reason we need uniformity in every rule of racing throughout the country/industry. We also need uniformity in steward DQ decisions. If they don't get on the stick and straighten out these internal arguments...they will find themselves under federal oversight. TJ

[TJ]

I'd still like to know why NY owners and horsemen didn't legally challenge the inconsistency and patent inequity of nasal strips being allowed for Standardbred racing but not in Thoroughbred racing.

Hi Patuxet,
It really wasn't that much of an issue for the NY based TB trainers, few were using them. The ban of the nasal strip was not a racing commission rule....it was done by the stewards. The trotting trainers (under the rule of the same NY commission) were using them and didn't want to stop and since there was no rule against it, they simply continued with their use. This rule was in house at the NYRA tracks presented by the stewards at their discretion and had no real authority as noted with the decision to now allow the nasal strip. TJ

[Des]

TJ.... I agree with you 100%,... Well the price for Nasal Strips my be on the rise because of this.. I use them in PA