The Stronach Group plans to implement a ban on the raceday use of the anti-bleeding medication furosemide for horses racing at its two California tracks, Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., and Golden Gate Fields outside San Francisco, along with a host of other restrictions, according to an “open letter” signed by the president of the parent company that was distributed on Thursday.

The letter, which grew out of a high-level meeting between California racing constituents on Wednesday that was called to address a spate of deaths at Santa Anita since the track opened on Dec. 26, declared that the two tracks would implement a policy of “zero tolerance” for raceday medication, and that the track would adhere to standards set by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. The letter was signed by Belinda Stronach, the president of The Stronach Group, which owns a handful of racetracks across the U.S.

The only raceday medication allowed in the U.S. is furosemide, a diuretic that is used to treat bleeding in the lungs, and the use of the drug on raceday is the only significant difference between standards in the U.S. and the IFHA standards, which both allow for trace levels of approximately two dozen therapeutic medications to appear in post-race drug samples provided they are under certain thresholds. The IFHA standards also have slightly lower comparable thresholds for levels of drugs that reduce pain, but both standards do not allow painkillers to be allowed on raceday.

It was unclear when the ban would be implemented at the two tracks. Officials for the company or the state’s horsemen’s group did not immediately return phone calls. Santa Anita is on a hiatus from racing until March 22, while Golden Gate is currently running.

The letter was released on the same day that a filly suffered a catastrophic injury while training on Santa Anita’s main track. The unraced filly became the 22nd horse to die while racing or training at Santa Anita since the meet opened on Dec. 26, a gruesome tally that has upended the racing calendar in Southern California and sent shock waves throughout the racing industry and beyond.

The letter also stated that Santa Anita and Golden Gate would be subject to “revisions” in policies that would require the “complete transparency of all veterinary records;” an increase in out-of-competition testing; an increase in the time required for a horse to be on-site prior to a race; and a “substantial investment” by TSG in diagnostic equipment to detect pre-existing conditions that could put a horse at a higher risk of an injury. Existing stresses on bones are considered to be a leading missed at-risk factor for breakdowns.

In addition, the letter stated that the “it is time to address the growing concern about use of the riding crop,” a reference to the whip carried by jockeys and riders. The letter said that “a cushion crop should only be used as a corrective safety measure,” and said “it is time to make this change.”

The letter went on to state that TSG officials have spoke with officials at the California Horse Racing Board about their planned changes and that the board will address “the situation at Santa Anita” at a meeting on March 21, one day prior to the scheduled resumption of racing at Santa Anita.

More to come on drf.com.