The issue is a long-standing one in Maryland, where Sen. Charles McC. Mathias Jr. urged a national ban on drugs as far back as 1981.
The Maryland commission tests the first- and second-place finishers in every race. The policy approved yesterday does not include penalties for trainers caught doping. Hopkins said horsemen and racing officials will decide on those standards by Jan. 1.
Existing tests most commonly catch trainers using the anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, or bute. They can receive suspensions and fines of $500 to $1,500 for such violations.
Hopkins said he does not expect the new regulations to have a major effect on most trainers. Those who work in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia are used to them, he said.
The Maryland vote is part of a national push for more consistent doping rules. At congressional hearings in June, horsemen and industry leaders decried the lack of uniform standards. When Dutrow defended himself before the Preakness, he complained that it was hard to keep up with the rules from one state to the next.
The inconsistency still gives breeders and trainers pause.
"Obviously, [the steroid restriction] is a good move," said Jim Steele, president of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. "But the thing is that it needs to be nationwide. We all need to be on the same playing field.
"I know one of the concerns that came up earlier was not that we weren't going to have a ban but when to ban [steroids], Steele said. "As people claim horses back and forth from different states, everyone understands that steroids take awhile to get out of the system. You could run into trouble if you claimed a horse from a state that was still allowing steroids and went to a state that didn't."
But Hopkins said Maryland and other racing states are more on the same page than ever.
"This shows that in the move for national uniformity, Maryland is certainly falling into step," he said.
Baltimore Sun reporters Mike Klingaman and Kevin Van Valkenburg contributed to this article.
