Do Nasal Strips Help Horses Run Faster?

NFL players wear them to help them breathe, and so will racehorse California Chrome on June 7, when he attempts to win the Triple Crown.

But there was some doubt as to whether the horse would be allowed to wear a nasal strip at the Belmont Stakes, where a first-place finish would make him the 12th horse in history to win the Triple Crown.

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Could a breathing strip on a horse really help it win? California Chrome’s supporters seem to say both yes and no.

Just as humans wear them to help them breathe during sports or at night, the adhesive strips are designed to improve air flow into a horse’s nostrils — giving horses a boost, said Art Sherman, the horse’s trainer. Sherman suggested the horse might not run without it.

“I think it opens up his air passage and gives him that little extra oomph that he needs, especially going a mile and a half,” Sherman said. “Any time you can have a good air passage, that means a lot for these thoroughbreds.”

California Chrome has worn a nasal strip for each of his last six races, and has won every time. Past Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners have also worn them. Horse-racing rules vary by state, and although Belmont Park officials had said in the past that nasal strips would not be allowed, its rulebook doesn’t specifically mention them