THE Breeders’ Cup is set to go ahead at Santa Anita this year despite a shock announcement this week by the track’s owner that all raceday medication has been banned with immediate effect.

The Californian track also plans to restrict the use of the whip by jockeys so that it can only be used for corrective purposes.

Santa Anita halted racing last week following the deaths of more than 20 horses during its winter meeting. Most observers felt the problem lay with the dirt track but experts called in to study the racing surface could not say for certain what had caused the spike in fatalities.

Hours after another filly broke down on the training track on Thursday, Santa Anita’s president Belinda Stronach issued a statement which announced that major changes were on the way.

Entitled ‘An Open Letter on the Future of Thoroughbred Racing in California’ the statement said there would be “zero tolerance” for raceday medication. This measure will have a huge effect on the local racing population where it is rare for any runner to race without the anti-bleeding drug Lasix.

The statement included supportive quotes from the California Horse Racing Board, the Jockey Club, Del Mar and controversial animal rights group PETA.

The Breeders’ Cup also added their support to the move by issuing a statement which read: “Like all of racing, we are profoundly saddened by the loss of a life at any racetrack and we are heartbroken for those whose livelihoods are dedicated to the care of our horses.

“As an organisation, the Breeders’ Cup stands for the highest levels of safety and integrity. We support the effort by The Stronach Group to propose important changes and we commit to working with the racing industry in California and elsewhere to achieve meaningful reform on a national basis.

“We recognise that for real change to result from this difficult situation we must engage those stakeholders quickly and dedicate time and other resources. We must, as an industry, press forward on implementing existing best practices and rapidly proceed with the consideration of further reforms such as those proposed by The Stronach Group in California. It is vital that we all do so.”