California Chrome will be allowed to wear nasal strip
BALTIMORE - California Chrome will be allowed to wear a nasal strip at the Belmont Stakes on June 7, keeping alive his chance to become the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years.
Three stewards at Belmont Park on Monday unanimously approved the nasal strips for all horses running at racetracks of the New York Racing Association, effective immediately.
“Equine nasal strips do not enhance equine performance nor do they pose a risk to equine health or safety and as such do not need to be regulated,” New York State Gaming Commission Equine Medical Director Scott E. Palmer wrote in his analysis of the strips. He added that strips are applied to the top of the nose and anyone can see their use prior to a race.