Aqueduct Racing Officials Faulted in Horse Deaths More than half of the 21 racehorses who had fatal breakdowns at Aqueduct Racetrack earlier this year might have been saved had racing authorities more closely monitored their health and the liberal use of prescription drugs to keep them racing, according to an investigation ordered by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York. Both racing officials and regulatory veterinarians, who were supposed to protect the horses, often ignored signs that they were ailing and allowed them to race for purses inflated with money from the track's adjacent gambling casino, according to people with direct knowledge of the investigation's report. The investigation found that veterinarians and officials of the New York Racing Association often cared more about filling races that generate revenue for trainers, owners and the racetracks than about whether horses were fit to compete. Mr. Cuomo, who took control of racing in the state this summer, is expected to announce a series of overhauls on Friday in Albany that will restrict the use of potent anti-inflammatory drugs known as corticosteroids, as well as clenbuterol, a widely abused bronchodilator that can build muscle if used improperly. "At the New York Racing Association, concern for the health of the horses finished a distant second to economics," Howard B. Glaser, Mr. Cuomo's director of state operations, said in an interview. "Our reforms, which will go in effect immediately, will put horses" health and rider safety first." The Aqueduct findings come as racing wrestles with a drug culture that many of its most experienced officials recognize is diminishing the sport. Congressional hearings have been held, and racing's governing body has issued new regulations and is contemplating even more sweeping action. Some are calling for an outright ban on drugs in the sport. A New York Times investigation found that 24 horses a week die at America's racetracks, a rate greater than in countries where drug use is severely restricted. The governor's task force was formed in March to investigate the sudden rise of horse fatalities in the early part of the year at Aqueduct. Those fatalities coincided with the opening of the Resorts World casino there, which greatly expanded the size of the purses. Even as the number of fatalities spiked at Aqueduct, racing officials did not respond or try to examine the conditions that might be contributing to the deaths, according to the people with knowledge of the report. The 100-page report, which is to be made public on Friday, portrays a culture in which veterinarians concerned about the fitness of horses were challenged and often overruled by nonmedical people responsible for producing full fields for races. Some racetrack veterinarians, the panel found, were improperly trained to recognize ailing horses. Dan Silver, a spokesman for NYRA, said that no one at the agency had received a copy of the report and declined to comment. At the forefront of the governor's overhaul is a plan to give regulatory veterinarians at the state's three racetracks - whose job is to make sure the horses who race are healthy - more independence from racetrack officials, allowing them to more easily report misconduct and prevent sore horses from racing. New York will also hire a state equine medical director to ensure that safety is the foremost concern at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. Mr. Cuomo, who took control of racing in New York after decades of scandal, bankruptcy proceedings and a previous state financial bailout, is expected to name a new racing association board in the coming weeks. The four-person panel included two veterinarians, Dr. Scott Palmer, an equine surgeon, and Dr. Mary Scollay, the equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey and Alan Foreman, a lawyer and the chairman of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, were the other members. Other recommendations reflect the panel's concern that corticosteroids were being used too close to race time, and that clenbuterol was being overused. The panel is expected to recommend that one of the strongest corticosteroids, Depo-Medrol, not be given to a horse within 15 days of a race. In April, The Times found numerous instances of corticosteroids being injected in horses in the days leading to their fatal races, according to veterinarian records. For example, a generic version of the drug was among the 17 injections given to Coronado Heights, a 4-year-old thoroughbred found to have early degenerative joint disease, in the week before his fatal race. Under the plan, less potent corticosteroids could not be injected into joints within seven days of a race and short-acting corticosteroids could not be given within five days of a race. Current rules prohibit the use of corticosteroids only within 48 hours of a race. These proposals are intended to reduce the pharmacological effect of the drugs on horses that might be racing while injured. Regulatory veterinarians have long expressed concern that pain medicine and anti-inflammatory drugs make it more difficult to spot problems during pre-race inspections. Investigators became concerned about clenbuterol when they found that some horses were getting it almost continually from their private veterinarians. Clenbuterol is approved only for the short-term treatment of respiratory disease, and is very effective. But when used in large amounts over a lengthy period, it builds muscle and can also cause health problems or death. Under current rules, clenbuterol has to be withdrawn four days before racing. That will now become 21 days. Several other states, including California, have already taken steps to restrict the drug's use. Only veterinarians can legally prescribe medicine for horses, yet veterinarians often let trainers, who are paid to win races, make medical decisions, including which drugs to use. These veterinarians also have a powerful financial incentive to prescribe drugs. They are both doctor and drugstore, so the more drugs they prescribe, the more money they make. Selling and administering drugs accounts for most of their income.