Archive for the ‘Medication’ Category
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Under questioning by an attorney representing Rodney Stewart, the veterinarian appealing a five-year suspension for his possession of cobra venom and other banned substances at Keeneland in June 2007, John Veitch, chief steward for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and a retired Hall of Fame trainer, admitted that his racing star Alydar was treated with cobra venom after suffering an injury in September of his 3-year-old season.
Attorney Mike Meuser asked Veitch about the use of the now-banned substance during an appeal of Stewart’s suspension before racing commission hearing officer Bob Layton on Wednesday in Lexington, Ky. “Did Dr. Charles Allen give cobra venom to Alydar during the time you trained him?” Meuser asked.
“On one occasion,” Veitch confirmed, saying it came after Alydar had fractured the coffin bone in a foot while training up to the 1978 Marlboro Cup Handicap. “It wasn’t effective,” Veitch said. “We would not have run him again if it had worked. We treated him at the time. He was not in training. We experimented with Dr. Chuck Allen, who was an expert on venom. At the time, cobra venom was legal for use in the United States for treating Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). We tried it and it didn’t work. We didn’t use it as therapy so he could race, but only to see if we could relieve some pain.”
Technically, cobra venom, a powerful blocking agent, is not an illegal substance. It is not approved for use in humans or animals by the FDA and is prohibited in most racing jurisdictions, including Kentucky, which classifies it as a "Class A" drug, one that can be abused as an illegal performance enhancing substance.
Three vials of venom and other prohibited substances were found during a search of three barns on Keeneland property used by trainer Patrick Biancone and in a vehicle registered to Stewart. Most of the substances were found in a soft-sided cooler kept in a refrigerator in Barn 74, located in the barn area known as the Keeneland training center off Keeneland’s main property across Rice Road. Stewart admitted to officials the substances were his and that he was only using a refrigerator in Biancone’s barn because he and his wife were in the process of moving from Kentucky to New York. Stewart said his wife had packed the bag with medications usually kept in a refrigerator at their rented home, but that he had been living in temporary quarters. He said he wasn’t aware of everything that was in the bag.
Biancone was suspended for six months and agreed not to seek reinstatement for another six months. Stewart received a five-year ban. As chief steward of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Veitch was in charge of the investigation involving the banned substances and the hearing that led to the suspensions.
Bob Watt, an attorney representing the racing commission, called several witnesses in addition to Veitch, including one of the investigators who conducted the search, commission veterinarian Mary Scollay and Keeneland executive Harvie Wilkinson.
Scollay called cobra venom an "exceedingly dangerous" substance that could cause a loss of sensation in a horse’s foot and block pain. She said there is no known test to detect cobra venom in urine or blood.
During cross-examination of Wilkinson, who among other things oversees security at Keeneland, Meuser asked whether Keeneland officials ever sought approval from the racing commission to have the Rice Road training facility recognized as part of Keeneland’s racetrack grounds. Wilkinson said he was not aware that they had sought approval.
The purpose of that question came to light later in the day when Stewart himself was testifying and Meuser asked if he believed Barn 74 was part of the racetrack property.
"I thought it was a private barn," Stewart replied. "I thought it was Patrick’s private barn. He’d always referred to it that way."
Records showed that Stewart had purchased four vials of the cobra venom in July 2006 from BioToxins, a Saint Cloud, Fla., company. The veterinarian testified that he had used one of the vials on a former racehorse that had been rescued from a farm and was being used as a stable pony. The other vials remained in their shrinkwrap packaging. The vials contain a powder which is then mixed in a salilne solution before injection.
Among the other substances seized was a container of Carbidopa-Levodopa, a human medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Scollay testified that the drug could act as a stimulant and reduce fatigue in humans. In later testimony, Stewart said he did not use the drug on any horses but did not recall why he had it.
Another bottle with an unknown honey-like substance inside was labeled "For Mythical Elmo," according to the testimony, but it was more likely meant for the Biancone-trained filly Mythical Echo. Its contents remain unknown. Another bottle found was labeled with the lettering "R.T.H.." When asked about the "R.T.H." substance, Stewart said "a fellow from South Africa had given it to me. It was used there to treat bleeding." When pressed he said he had no idea what pharmacological agents were contained in the liquid. .
Stewart said he has had his license to practice on "competition animals" (including horses, greyhounds and camels) suspended in Australia, where he earned his veterinary degree in 1997. He is banned from racetracks but is allowed to continue his veterinary practice in the United States.
The hearing will continue Dec. 9. Among the issues to be covered area the contents of Stewart’s personal computer, which has been sent to a business that conducts forensic searches on computer hard drives to extract any information related to his veterinary practice for a period of time prior to his suspension.
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Tags: als, alydar, biotoxins, bob watt, carbidopa-Levodopa, cobra venom, cobratoxin, dr. charles allen, dr. churck allen, drugs in racing, harvie wilkinson, john veitch, Keeneland, kentucky horse racing commission, lou gehrig's disease, Mary Scollay, mike meuser, mythical echo, mythical elmo, parkinson's, patrick biancone, Paulick Report, r.t.h., Ray Paulick, rodney stewart
Posted in Medication, Regulatory Issues | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Attorneys for Rodney Stewart, the veterinarian suspended for five years by Kentucky racing authorities in the 2007 “cobra venom” case that also implicated trainer Patrick Biancone, said in opening statements in an appellate hearing on Wednesday morning the suspension against their client was excessive and should be lifted.
Mike Meuser and Karen Murphy are representing Stewart, who received a four-year ban for possession of prohibited substances and a one-year suspension for failure to cooperate in the investigation. The appeal is being heard by Bob Layton, a hearing officer for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which is represented by attorney Bob Watt.
Click here to see the original ruling.
In his opening statements, Meuser said Stewart had no intention of using the prohibited substances found in a refrigerator and packed in a soft-sided cooler in one of three barns Biancone occupied and that they had been packed by Stewart’s wife in preparation for the couple’s move to New York. In fact, Meuser contended, Stewart wasn’t even aware of the cooler’s contents, which the attorney said were placed in the refrigerator because it was a “hot June day.”
Meuser said, the three vials of prohibited cobra toxin found in the bag were still shrink-wrapped. Another prohibited substance found, Carbidopa-Levodopa (a human drug to treat Parkinson’s disease), was still in its original container, Meuser said, and its usage date had expired. “There is no evidence there was any attempted use of any of these substances,” said Meuser, who added that the cooler also contained rabies vaccines for dogs and cats.
Watt, in his statement, said the cobra venom, a powerful painkiller, had been purchased from BioToxins, a Florida-based company that specialized in snake venom. Watt referred to other substances discovered in the June 22, 2007, barn searches conducted by investigators with the racing commission (then known as the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority) and Keeneland security, including Ketoconazole, “something called Throat RX, and one injectable honey colored solution marked ‘For Mythical Elmo.’”
Meuser did not address the latter substances in his opening statement.
Watt said Stewart and his attorneys failed to properly respond to requests that were made to Stewart for billing and computer records, which resulted in the one-year suspension for failure to cooperate. Murphy countered that the ban should be lifted because the commission failed to give Stewart a hearing within 48 hours of a request for a stay of the suspension. She also complained that the request for a home computer was unreasonable and that the commission “was fishing for further violations,” even going so far, she said, as conducting tests in Hong Kong.
Biancone, who recently returned to training in California, was out of racing about one year, accepting a six-month suspension and agreeing not to apply for his trainer’s license for another six months.
A number of witnesses are being called in the case. Layton is expected to make a ruling within 60 days of the completion of the hearing.
To read about some of the testimony in the hearing, click here.
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Tags: biotoxins, bob layton, bob watt, carbidopa-Levodopa, cobra venom, karen murphy, Keeneland, kentucky horse racing authority, kentucky horse racing commission, ketokonazole, michael meuser, mike meuser, mythial elmo, mythical elmo, parkinson's, patrick biancone, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, rodney stewart, snake venom, throat rx
Posted in Horse Welfare, Medication, Regulatory Issues | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission has upheld a stewards ruling against trainer Larry Jones involving a test for a higher than permitted level of the bronchodilator Clenbuterol in Two Bucks Stable’s Stones River, who won a June 8 allowance race at Delaware Park.
The stewards have suspended Jones seven days, fined him $500 and ordered the purse money won by Stones River to be redistributed. The ruling was the first of any kind against Jones, who has trained horses for 25 years.
The hearing was conducted on Monday, and both Jones and Two Bucks owner Jim Squires appeared. Jones was represented by attorney Brent Caldwell, according to John Wayne, executive director of the commission. “The commissioners were very impressed and complimentary of Caldwell’s defense,” Wayne said. Nevertheless, the five commissioners voted unanimously in public deliberations to uphold the ruling, which was more lenient than the guidelines established by the Association of Racing Commissioners International. Those guidelines call for a suspension of 60 days to six months and up to a $1,500 fine. Clenbuterol is classified as a Class 3 drug by RCI.
"The commissioners felt that the stewards’ ruling fit the criteria as a first-time offense ever for Mr. Jones," Wayne said.
Wayne said the final decision and order prepared by the commission’s deputy attorney general will be forthcoming. “At that point,” he said, “Mr. Jones has the option to appeal the commission’s decision to Superior Court if he so desires.”
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Tags: association of racing commissioners international, brent caldwell, clenbuterol, delaware thoroughbred racing commission, jim squires, john wayne, larry jones, RCI, stones river, two bucks stable
Posted in Medication, Regulatory Issues | No Comments »
Friday, October 10th, 2008
The 15-day suspension against Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow for an alleged Clenbuterol positive in Salute the Count, a horse that ran at Churchill Downs on May 2, should be overturned by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, hearing officer James Robke has ruled.
Clenbuterol has a permissible threshold level of 25 picograms per ml of serum, according to state guidelines. Iowa State Laboratory reported a finding of 41 picograms; the documentation packet was labeled: “Confirmation for Clenbuterol in Plasma.” But the hearing officer ruling said there was no evidence presented by Iowa State or a secondary, confirmatory lab at Louisiana State University that confirmed the presence of Clenbuterol in serum. “Neither was there any evidence to explain the difference between serum and plasma,” the hearing officer recommendation states. Because of this, the administrative officer said the commission had "not met its burden" to prove the allegations against Dutrow were true.
The recommendation (click here to read the complete ruling) said the commission “failed to prove that the amount of Clenbuterol was above the threshold of ‘25 picograms per ml of serum.’ The commission proved that the amount of Clenbuterol in Salute the Count was indeed 41 picograms per ml of plasma. No evidence was presented to explain the difference (between plasma and serum). When dealing with two amounts … it is imperative that there is specificity as to the amounts.”
Lisa Underwood, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, issued the following statement: “The staff of the KHRC has reviewed the hearing officer’s recommendations to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission regarding the steward’s ruling against trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. We have concluded that we have a strong basis for filing exceptions to the recommended order, and we intend to do so promptly.”
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Tags: Big Brown, clenbuterol, Horse Racing, horse racing regulations, iowa state lab, james robke, kentucky horse racing commission, lisa underwood, louisiana state university lab, Medication, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, richard dutrow jr., rick dutrow, salute the count, withdrawal guidelines
Posted in Big Brown, Horse Racing, Kentucky, Medication, Regulatory Issues | 4 Comments »
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
By Ray Paulick
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, stung by the recent disclosure by its former chief veterinarian that no testing for TCO2 loading (also known as milkshakes) was conducted at the Ellis Park Thoroughbred meeting this summer, is facing another embarrassment involving its impotence over positive tests for blood-doping agents in four horses at the Red Mile harness track in Lexington, the Paulick Report has learned.
High-placed sources at the horse racing commission and Kentucky’s Equine Drug Research Council told the Paulick Report that out-of-competition testing on at least four horses detected a form of erythropoietin, which helps increase the production of red blood cells and has been used in both human and equine sports to illegally enhance performance. It is virtually impossible to detect in normal post-race tests because the drug is given up to two weeks before a race and can only be detected for about 48 hours thereafter. Cycling and other human sports rely on out-of-competition testing to catch blood-doping cheaters.
Because the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has no rules on the book regulating the results of out-of-competition testing, it is unable to prosecute any of the positive tests or penalize those involved. Officials at the Red Mile, according to sources, have merely barred the horses from further competition at the current meeting, which ends on Saturday. Rules concerning out-of-competition testing at the Red Mile can be found here.
Red Mile president Joe Costa could not be reached for comment.
“The state does not have rules for out-of-competition testing,” said Jim Carroll, a communications officer for Kentucky’s Public Protection Cabinet. “I would refer you to the Red Mile. The track has authority.”
Carroll would not confirm whether the indefinite suspensions announced on Thursday of two veterinarians, Rick Mather and Rick Rothfuss of Columbus, Ohio, were related to the alleged positive blood-doping tests. A press release from the commission said two Kentucky Horse Racing Commission investigators searched two trucks owned by the veterinarians and seized records and unidentified substances, which are being sent to a laboratory for testing. Richard Williams, the commission’s presiding judge for Standardbred racing, imposed the suspension after reviewing the physical evidence. A hearing on the suspension is pending.
“It’s gotten ridiculous,” one prominent Standardbred horsemen told the Paulick Report. “We have more vets driving around on the backstretch than we have horses back there.”
One state that takes a harsher view of blood-doping positive tests and possession of illegal blood-doping agents is New Jersey, whose racing commission routinely conducts out-of-competition testing. The New Jersey Commission has issued bans of more than 15 years for horsemen and veterinarians caught in blood-doping schemes, and in one case criminal charges have been filed.
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Tags: aranesp, bicarbondate loading, blood doping, blood-doping agents, drugs in racing, ellis park, epo, epogen, erythropoietin, horse doping, Horse Racing, jim carroll, joe costa, kentucky horse racing commission, Medication, milkshakes, new jersey racing commission, out of competition testing, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, red mile, richard williams, rick mather, rick rothfuss, standardbred racing, tco2
Posted in Industry Reform, Medication, Regulatory Issues | Comments Off
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
The horse business is Kentucky’s signature industry, employing tens of thousands of people, generating over a billion dollars of revenue throughout the year, and putting the international spotlight on the Commonwealth each spring at the Kentucky Derby. Yet, in many ways, legislators and other government officials have been dealing with the industry almost as an afterthought.
Tax breaks given to lesser industries have not been granted to farmers whose agricultural product happens to be a horse instead of a cow. Kentucky’s legislature was late to the party to create an incentive fund to reward breeders for doing business in the Bluegrass State rather than shipping their breeding stock (and jobs) out of state where more lucrative incentives have been created. And now, one of the most troublesome challenges the racing industry faces – questions about the integrity of the sport and its pari-mutuel wagering foundation – has been hampered by ongoing budgetary shortfalls at the state agency that regulates racing.
Simply put, the integrity of racing in Kentucky is being jeopardized by indifference by some at the legislative and executive level to properly fund the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
The problem goes back nearly eight years ago to the administration of Gov. Paul Patton, who cut $1 million dollars – nearly one-third – out of what was then known as the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority. Frank Shoop, then the chairman of the regulatory body, told the Paulick Report he thought the cuts were temporary and would be restored; they weren’t. Instead, the Racing Authority began assessing racetracks as much as $3,500 a day to pay for many of the functions that would previously have been funded by the state. “It’s so important to the signature industry of the state,” Shoop said. “They should have proper money to regulate the industry: transportation, insurance and other departments have proper regulatory budgets. This department has been short of money and short of money for years.
“I don’t know what the proper funding action should be,” Shoop added, “but something needs to be done that the legislature and governor can agree on.”
If something isn’t done, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will run out of money by Jan. 1, according to Tracy Farmer, a Thoroughbred owner and breeder and high-level operative in the Democratic Party that helped elect Gov. Steve Beshear last November. Farmer was named by Beshear to the current horse racing commission, where he serves as vice chairman, and is heading up a special Task Force on the Future of Horse Racing examining numerous issues related to racing and breeding.
Farmer told the Paulick Report that Kentucky’s General Assembly had $2 million set aside for the racing commission for the current fiscal year but they subsequently “raided our accounts to balance the (state) budget.” Farmer said he and others are looking at ways to fund the commission through such revenue items as the tax on claiming horses, which he estimated generates $2 million per year. “Money is being generated that’s not being put back into the industry,” Farmer said. “We’re looking at several different methodologies and will recommend one of them. This is the largest industry in the state. We have to fund the people who oversee it.”
State Sen. Damon Thayer, a Republican from Georgetown and a consultant in the racing industry who helped create the breeders’ incentive fund through existing revenue drawn from the tax on stallion seasons, pushed for legislation that would have Kentucky’s General Fund provide for the commission’s budget. That legislation failed, Thayer said, despite bi-partisan efforts to get it passed.
“The racetracks are struggling, the commission is without money, and the state is in a budget crisis,” Thayer said. “We need more money for the commission to have boots on the ground to do their job. And we were saying this before Eight Belles and Big Brown.”
The death of Eight Belles in this year’s Kentucky Derby and the admission by trainer Rick Dutrow that Derby winner Big Brown raced on anabolic steroids (then legal) has prompted an outcry for tighter regulations, stricter medication rules, and more comprehensive drug testing. Anabolic steroids have recently been banned in Kentucky and several other states, and that ban requires additional testing be added to the existing drug testing program.
Thayer plans to introduce new legislation during the next session of the General Assembly.
“What needs to happen is Gov. Beshear needs to get behind legislation drafted by Sen. Ed Worley (D-Richmond) and me that would set up a reliable, recurring source of revenue for the racing commission so the tracks do not pay for drug testing and their own regulation. The racing commission needs to be funded by the pari-mutuel excise tax so we can expand drug testing to a respectable level.”
According to Thayer, the pari-mutuel tax currently helps fund the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, equine drug research and the University of Louisville’s equine business program.
The lack of funding came to a head at a recent meeting of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission when it was disclosed testing was not conducted for performance-enhancing milkshakes (TCO2 levels or bicarbonate loading) at Ellis Park this summer because of a personnel shortage. Since that disclosure, the commission’s chief veterinarian resigned his position.
“We were shocked to learn that no testing was conducted,” said Farmer.
It may have taken weeks for commission members to learn that there was no testing for milkshakes, but trainers probably knew instantly, permitting cheaters to prosper. The absence of testing shook the confidence of many horseplayers about whether the state is doing enough to stop performance-enhancing drugs from giving an edge to some trainers.
The racing commission’s executive director, Lisa Underwood, who was hired during the previous administration of Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher, has plans to expand the size of the staff if funding is provided. She has submitted a plan to add investigators, state veterinarians and other full and part-time staff to better regulate racing and ensure its integrity.
Ed Martin, president of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, told the Task Force on the Future of Horse Racing when he became aware of how little was committed to Kentucky’s commission that he was “shocked at how low a priority the integrity of racing apparently was, especially considering how important the racing industry is to the state’s economy and identity.”
Martin compiled a study of how much is committed to integrity issues in other major racing states and found that Kentucky, “instead of being first, is last.”
His study showed Kentucky commits $7,692 per race day, less than half of the $17,948 committed by Florida for integrity enforcement. Martin said the Kentucky commission is sorely lacking investigators to monitor backstretch activities. Kentucky has two investigators, he said, compared with 14 in New York, 15 in Pennsylvania, 17 in Florida, and 18 in California.
“ Perhaps the most glaring weakness in the funding can be seen in the fact that no resources have been dedicated to policing the pari-mutuel system,” Martin said.“Kentucky in the past has dedicated nothing in this area while other major racing states have made a considerable commitment in this area, not only in terms of staff, but to ensure that an independent computerized monitoring system is deployed to protect against past posting, odds manipulations, cyber crime, and larceny. In public forum after public forum, large bettors have expressed a growing concern about the lack of commitment to wagering security.
“ While some states have committed as many as six people to wagering security and made arrangements for independent monitoring, Kentucky has yet to commit one.”
Many bettors are convinced the technology used in today’s pari-mutuel wagering system is archaic and able to be exploited by techno-savvy players who are making bets after the gates to a race have been opened. One member of the Kentucky Racing Commission who asked not to be named agreed: “There is no question people are betting after the horses are out of the gate,” he said. “They are somehow getting into the pool. It’s frightening.”
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Tags: association of racing commissioners international, bicarbonate loading, Big Brown, bluegrass state, churchill downs, damon thayer, drug testing, ed martin, ed worley, eight belles, ellis park, ernie fletcher, frank shoop, Horse Racing, Keeneland, kentucky horse racing, kentucky horse racing authority, kentucky horse racing commission, kentucky thoroughbred development fund, lisa underwood, pari-mutuel wagering, paul patton, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, RCI, steve beshear, task force on the future of horse racing, tco2, thoroughbred racing, tracy farmer, turfway park, university of louisville equiine business program, wagering integrity
Posted in Horse Racing, Industry Organizations, Kentucky, Medication, Regulatory Issues, Tote System, Wagering | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 29th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Well, it was fun while it lasted, this dream of someday returning to Hialeah Park to enjoy horse racing in its most beautiful setting. Since making my first trip there in 1988, when the South Florida track already was in severe decline, I’ve held out hope that someone, somehow could restore it to some semblance of its past elegance.
At first, I let John Brunetti convince me that everyone really was out to get him and that if he could only get a break from state legislators and regulators he could be the one to bring Hialeah back. But then, as the years went by and I saw Brunetti’s recalcitrance and heard about his disingenuous actions from horsemen and others involved in Florida racing, my expectations were that Hialeah Park would never be reopened after running its last race in 2001.
Then along came Halsey Minor, reigniting the flame of hope many of us hold for Hialeah. The Internet entrepreneur and Virginia Thoroughbred owner and breeder put together a team of experts to appraise the property, map out renovations for the grandstand and clubhouse, design new barns, and develop an operating plan. He engaged Brunetti is discussions that so many of us hoped would lead to a sale of the track to Minor and the rebirth of the “sport” of racing in South Florida.
Turns out Brunetti was only jerking his chain.
Brunetti is one of those guys who has a number in his head that isn’t based on appraised values, or highest and best use of the property. The price Brunetti wants today, the Paulick Report has learned, isn’t even in the ballpark of what he was trying to get previously from the state of Florida. It’s much higher.
There is no rationale for Brunetti’s demands, for he isn’t a rational man. He just has a price, and one that isn’t based on reality – especially the reality of an economy that has seen real estate values plummet, credit tighten and development slow to a crawl.
So the talks between Minor and Brunetti are dead, unless Brunetti has any second thoughts.
Given the nature of the economy, financial markets and zoning impediments that would keep Brunetti from bulldozing the track and putting up a business park or condos, Hialeah Park isn’t going anywhere soon. It will just sit empty as Brunetti gets older and more bitter about his plight. Minor, 43 years old and involved in many other business projects, can simply wait Brunetti out and see if his heirs have more interest in doing something with the track than Brunetti.
As Minor has been quoted as saying, in that scenario Brunetti would “forego any of the recognition of giving back what he took from racing." For Hialeah Park, it’s back to hibernation, unless Brunetti changes his mind and decides that he wants to be a steward of this Thoroughbred racing gem.
SO HORSE OF THE WORLD CURLIN, GINGER PUNCH AND OTHER STAR THOROUGHBREDS racing on a program that included five Grade 1 stakes could only attract 8,563 fans to Belmont Park. No surprise there, especially considering the rainstorms that swept through the New York metropolitan area. But previous crowds to see Curlin compete at New York Racing Association tracks weren’t exactly overwhelming. For both the Woodward at Saratoga and Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup, NYRA’s marketing team tried to stir up interest in a sporting public apathetic to any racing that doesn’t involve the Triple Crown.
The problem isn’t what NYRA’s marketing department has done over the last few months. It’s much bigger than that. The challenge for the “new” out-of-bankruptcy NYRA (which looks suspiciously like the old NYRA to me) is to redefine itself and somehow overcome a reputation defined by decades of arrogance and indifference to the public.
THANKS TO THE READER WHO TIPPED US TO THE LATE SCRATCH OF SAILORS SUNSET from Saturday’s Grade 1 Ancient Title sprint at Santa Anita. A check with the California Horse Racing Board’s equine medical director, Dr. Rick Arthur, confirmed that there was a scratch on that day’s program because a horse received a pre-race throat flush that involved something other than water, the only substance permitted on race day. Arthur said there appeared to be no performance-enhancing procedure attempted on the horse (i.e., a milkshake), but that a steward’s hearing would be conducted into the matter. If Sailors Sunset was indeed the horse in question, the hearing would involve trainer Marcelo Polanco.
California’s prohibition on race-day of throat-washing products such as Wind Aid that are commonly used in some other jurisdictions could create problems at this year’s Breeders’ Cup for trainers unfamiliar with CHRB regulations. For that reason, Arthur said, the Breeders’ Cup horseman’s handbook will explain its medication rules in detail and an associate steward will be assigned to outline California medication rules to every trainer with a horse in the Breeders ‘ Cup.
BEST PERFORMANCE OF A SPECTACULAR WEEKEND OF RACING? Was it Curlin’s victory over Wanderin Boy in the Jockey Club Gold Cup? Zenyatta’s dominating performance in the Lady’s Secret at Santa Anita? Eye-popping turf victories by Grand Couturier in the Joe Hirsch Invitational Turf Classic or Red Giant in the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial? How about the stretch-running victory by the 2-year-old Tapit filly Stardom Bound in the Oak Leaf Stakes?
All were outstanding, without question, but in my book the race that might be the most overlooked was the track-record blowout by Fatal Bullet in the Kentucky Cup Sprint at Turfway Park. This 3-year-old Red Bullet gelding is a synthetic track specialist who could be very dangerous on the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Who did you like in these Breeders’ Cup preps?
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Tags: belmont park, Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup championships, breeders' cup classic, breeders' cup sprint, California Horse Racing Board, CHRB, chrb regulations, Curlin, dr. rick arthur, Fatal Bullet, florida racing, ginger punch, grand couturier, Halsey Minor, Hialeah Park, Horse Racing, jockey club gold cup, john brunetti, marcelo polanco, Medication, New York Racing Association, nyra, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, red giant, sailors sunset, stardom bound, tapit, triople crown, wind aid, woodward, zenyatta
Posted in Breeders' Cup, California, California Horse Racing Board, Curlin, Florida, Halsey Minor, Hialeah Park, Horse Racing, Marketing, Medication, New York Racing Association | 6 Comments »
Friday, September 19th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Californian Mike Mitchell has produced a steady stream of winners – mostly in the claiming ranks – since taking out his trainer’s license in 1974. He also has been cited quite regularly for various rules violations, including numerous medication and medication procedural infractions, by track stewards and the California Horse Racing Board, the latest being a positive test for the Class 3 drug Procaine in Scat Thief, third-place finisher in a race at Del Mar Aug. 3.
Procaine is commonly found in the antibiotic Pencillin G.
The longtime California claiming king consistently ranks among meeting leaders at Santa Anita Park, Hollywood Park and Del Mar, and he usually cracks the top 50 in the national standings by earnings. Horses he trains have won $3.5 million thus far in 2008, and he’s winning at a 24% clip. Mitchell makes semi-frequent forays into graded stakes, as he did in 2007 when the $50,000 claim Sun Boat won Del Mar’s Grade 2 San Diego Handicap. Sun Boat died a month later after contracting laminitis.
Earlier this summer, Thoroughbred Times reported that Mitchell received 10 notifications for anabolic steroid positive tests during the transition period to ban the substance in California. The only trainer with more notifications, according to the article, was Del Mar’s leading trainer, John Sadler, who reportedly received 18 notifications. The article said there was a total of 38 notification letters to all trainers, which means Sadler and Mitchell allegedly accounted for 74% of them.
Those reported anabolic steroid notices do not go on Mitchell’s record at the CHRB or into the database of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, which compiles rulings from around the country. The RCI’s compilation of rulings involving Mitchell are shown below.
One of the more interesting rulings in the list of violations is a $5,000 fine in 2004 against Mitchell for an Acepromazine positive that occurred in 2003. Apparently, then CHRB executive director Roy Wood cut a deal with Mitchell for a fine and no suspension before the case even reached track stewards. According to a 2004 article in Bloodhorse magazine by Michael G. Wagner, Wood bargained for fines and no suspensions with trainers whose horses tested positive in order to save the racing board money spent on attorneys.
According to the article, when stewards conducted a hearing on the matter with Mitchell and asked him to discuss how the case was resolved, he told them: "Talking to some of the (CHRB) investigators, they said, ‘You know they really don’t like to suspend anybody now — if you acknowledge the fact that it happened, and you want to pay the fine.’ … So I went through Roy Wood, talked to him. … I felt I just — you know, a 30-day suspension just would have been devastating to me. It would have been terrible. The fine was great."
Wood is no longer with the CHRB.
A hearing for Mitchell has been scheduled Oct. 11 at Santa Anita on the Procaine charge.
Below is Comprehensive Ruling Report on Mitchell from the RCI.
Rulings Against: MICHAEL RAY MITCHELL
46 total ruling(s) listed.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: LATS090 Date: 3/16/2007
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: LOS ANGELES TURF CLUB
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Horse Breed: Thoroughbred
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 300 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: ALTERATION OF SEX OF HORSE
________________________________________
Ruling Number: LATS083 Date: 3/14/2007
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: LOS ANGELES TURF CLUB
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Horse Breed: Thoroughbred
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 3000 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: 06HP192/TC02 POSITIVE
________________________________________
Ruling Number: OTTS001 Date: 10/1/2006
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Horse Breed: Thoroughbred
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 500 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: 06DM072/1629 LATE DECLARATION
________________________________________
Ruling Number: OTTS005 Date: 10/1/2006
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Horse Breed: Thoroughbred
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 1000 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: 06DM075/1843 DICIOFENAC
________________________________________
Ruling Number: HRTH104 Date: 6/29/2006
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Horse Breed: Thoroughbred
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 300 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: HORSE INELIGIBLE TO START
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10101543 Date: 6/29/2006
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 300 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: ENTERED AN INELIGIBLE HORSE.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10092082 Date: 5/5/2005
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: SANTA ANITA PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 300 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: METHOCRBAMOL - "ALPHABETIC", 2ND RACE, 3-72-05.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10080229 Date: 11/11/2004
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 100 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: IMPROPERLY SHOD FOR TURF COURSE.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10090571 Date: 11/11/2004
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 100 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: 04SA179/E0681/IMPROPERLY SHOD
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10073956 Date: 3/27/2004
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s): Promazine Promazine
Fine Amount: $ 5000 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: PROMAZINE, "SWEET STEPPER," 3RD RACE, 9/7/03.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10075126 Date: 2/29/2004
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Positive Drug Test
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s): Prednisolone Prednisolone
Fine Amount: $ 300 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: METHYPREDNISOLONE, "AREYOUTALKINTOME", 1ST RACE, 12-20-03, WINNER.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10065309 Date: 7/26/2003
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: DEL MAR
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 100 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: LATE TO THE RECEIVING BARN.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10054303 Date: 6/27/2002
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 100 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: LATE TO RECEIVING BARN.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*10023128 Date: 3/17/2001
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 200 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: PENALTY FOR LATE DECLARATION.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*339217 Date: 5/8/1998
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Positive Drug Test
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s): Flunixin
Fine Amount: $ 300 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: EXCESS FLUNIXIN.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85390 Date: 6/8/1996
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 100 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: FAILED TO FILE A DECLARATION AT THE PROPER TIME.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85389 Date: 10/22/1995
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s): Methocarbamol Methocarbamol
Fine Amount: $ 750 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: TWO POSITIVE TESTS FOR METHOCARBAMOL.
________________________________________
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85372 Date: 2/13/1991
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 100 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $100 - EMPLOYMENT OF UNLICENSED PERSON.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85391 Date: 2/13/1991
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 200 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - EXCESS BUTAZOLIDIN FOUND INSAMPLE TAKEN FROM "SILVER STRAND", 2ND RACE ON 2-1.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85398 Date: 7/31/1990
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 200 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - FAILURE TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF AND DISRESPECT TO PADDOCK JUDGE.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85373 Date: 9/7/1989
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: DEL MAR
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $500 - FOUND EQUIPROXEN IN "BELLE MO", 1ST RACE, 8-30.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85374 Date: 9/1/1989
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: DEL MAR
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $500 - FOUND EQUIPROXEN IN "SPEEDRATIC", 8TH RACE, 8/17/89.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85375 Date: 7/15/1989
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - FOUND ROBAXIN IN "SUCESS FORMULA", 3RD RACE, 7-4.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85376 Date: 1/28/1989
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Positive Drug Test
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s): Hydrocortisone Hydrocortisone Hydrocortisone
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - VIOLATION OF RULE 1844 (MEDICATION-HYDROCORTISONE).
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85399 Date: 8/22/1988
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: DEL MAR
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $100 - EXHIBITING CONDUCT UNBECOMING TO A LICENSEE.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85377 Date: 7/9/1988
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $100 - EMPLOYMENT OF UNLICENSED PERSON.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85392 Date: 12/5/1987
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - NEGLIGENCE IN RACE DAY BLEEDER MEDICATION PROCEDURES.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85378 Date: 11/25/1987
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: 00$200 - FAILURE TO DELIVER HORSE TORECEIVING BARN AT PROPER TIME.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85393 Date: 1/15/1987
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $300 - VIOLATION OF RULE 1844(C) (AUTHORIZED MEDICATION; MORE THAN ONE APPROVED DRUG SUBSTANCE, SECOND OFFENSE).
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85400 Date: 1/3/1987
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - VIOLATION OF RULE 1843(D) (MEDICATION IN EXCESS OF PERMITTED LEVEL - BUTAZOLIDIN).
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85379 Date: 10/3/1986
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - VIOLATION OF RULE 1843(D) (MEDICATION IN EXCESS OF PERMITTED LEVEL - BUTAZOLIDIN).
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85401 Date: 6/11/1986
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - VIOLATION OF RULE 1843(D) (MEDICATION IN EXCESS OF PERMITTED LEVEL - BANAMINE).
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85380 Date: 2/22/1986
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: Unknown
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - MEDICATION IN EXCESS OF PERMITTED LEVELS.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85381 Date: 3/28/1984
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: SANTA ANITA PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - MEDICATION IN EXCESS OF LIMITS.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85382 Date: 9/7/1983
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: DEL MAR
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $200 - VIOLATION OF RULE #1845(E) (BLEEDER LIST).
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85383 Date: 7/8/1982
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $100 - FAILURE TO HAVE HORSE, A CONFIRMED BLEEDER, TREATED FOR RACE.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85402 Date: 6/21/1981
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $300 - NEGLIGENCE IN PROCEDURE OF RACEDAY BLEEDER MEDICATION CONDITIONS.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85384 Date: 5/29/1981
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $100 - NEGLIGENCE IN PROCEDURE OF RACE DAY BLEEDER MEDICATION CONDITONS.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85394 Date: 9/14/1980
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: DEL MAR
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $50 - FAILURE TO BE PRESENT AT PADDOCK TO SUPERVISE SADDLINGOF HIS HORSE.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85385 Date: 5/23/1980
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $300 - NEGLIGENCE IN PROCEDURE FOR RACE DAY BLEEDERMEDICATION CONDITIONS.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85395 Date: 2/17/1979
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: SANTA ANITA PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $300 - NEGLIGENCE IN PROCEDURE OF RACE-DAY BLEEDER MEDICATIONCONDITIONS.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85386 Date: 1/25/1979
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: SANTA ANITA PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $100 - NEGLIGENCE IN PROCEDURE OF RACE-DAY BLEEDERMEDICATION.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85403 Date: 5/26/1978
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: HOLLYWOOD PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $100 - FAILURE TO PROPERLY REGISTER A HEEL NERVED HORSE.
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85387 Date: 1/2/1978
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: SANTA ANITA PARK
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $150 - VIOLATION OF RULE 1895 (UNLICENSED GROOM IN RECEIVINGBARN).
________________________________________
Ruling Number: *N*85388 Date: 12/10/1975
Issued By: California Racing Commission Facility: BAY MEADOWS
Ruling Type: Unknown
Division: Unknown Breed: Unknown
Drug(s):
Fine Amount: $ 0 Fine Paid: Not Submitted
Suspension Start: None Suspension End: None
Description: $50.00 FOR VIOLATION OF CHRB RULE 1629 (PENALTY FOR LATEDECLARATION).
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Tags: acepromazine, anabolic steroids, association of racing commissioners international, California Horse Racing Board, california racing, CHRB, Del Mar, drugs in racing, Hollywood Park, Horse Racing, john sadler, Medication, michael ray mitchell, michael wagner, mike mitchell, Paulick Report, procaine, Ray Paulick, RCI, roy wood, santa anita, scat thief, sun boat, thoroughbred trainer
Posted in California, California Horse Racing Board, Medication, Regulatory Issues | 7 Comments »
Thursday, September 18th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
Stewards at Delaware Park have suspended trainer Larry Jones for seven days, fined him $500 and ordered a purse redistribution following a hearing on Tuesday concerning the discovery of a higher than permitted level of Clenbuterol in a post-race test for Two Bucks Stable’s Stones River, who won a June 8 allowance race at Delaware Park.
John Wayne, executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission, told the Paulick Report that Jones indicated he would appeal the ruling, which was handed down on Wednesday. The commission is expected to hear the appeal on Oct. 21. Jones was granted a stay until that time.
The ruling against Jones was the first of any kind during the trainer’s 25-year career, according to the data base at the Association of Racing Commissioners International.
The penalties assessed Jones are significantly lower than the model rules recommended last month by RCI, which Wayne said call for a suspension of 60 days to six months and up to a $1,500 fine for Clenbuterol, a Class 3 drug according to RCI guidelines. The seven-day suspension and $500 fine is in line with other first-offense Clenbuterol rulings in the Mid-Atlantic reguib, according to Wayne.
“The testimony given would be taken into consideration by the stewards,” said Wayne, who did not attend the hearing. Wayne said mitigating circumstances also may be taken into consideration by stewards when ruling on medication violations.
The Stones River case gained national attention when Jim Squires, co-owner with wife Mary Anne of Two Bucks Stable, issued a statement after being notified of the positive test, saying that it was a “highly suspicious” case and suggested it may have involved sabotage of the horse or drug test. Squires was notified of the result two days before a Congressional hearing examining drugs and welfare issues related to Thoroughbreds; a one-time member of the Kentucky Racing Commission, Squires has been an outspoken critic of the drugging of horses. An author and former editor of the Chicago Tribune, he also wrote a blog for the New York Times during this year’s Triple Crown in which he called for a ban on anabolic steroids.
Squires also wrote a New York Times commentary citing the need for widespread industry reforms in the wake of the death on national television of the Larry Jones-trained filly, Eight Belles, after she finished second to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby. No illegal drugs or anabolic steroids were found in the filly’s system during post-mortem testing.
“That a Two Bucks Stable horse in his care has become the first drug positive in his career in the highly charged atmosphere during the week of a congressional investigation focusing on drugs and safety in horse racing is highly suspicious,” Squires said in the written statement in June . “It reeks of a deliberate effort to impugn our credibility on the subject of drugs and damage the reputation of a highly successful trainer who has been unfairly and mistakenly blamed by a few critics outside the industry for the death of Eight Belles. … Larry Jones and I have both been prominent in the media voicing our support for the banning of steroids in the Thoroughbred industry and of more vigorous, uniform regulation of therapeutic drugs such as Clenbuterol, which can have steroidal effects.
“This test result on Stones River appears to be another miscarriage of justice in the offing, which we plan to challenge in every legal way possible,” the statement continued. “Holding Jones responsible for something beyond his control only aids and abets criminal behavior by people intent on hurting a competitor in particular or our industry in general. It will demonstrate once again how easy it is in Thoroughbred racing to impact a trainer’s livelihood and discredit both a horse and its owners.
“We have faith in the integrity of Delaware racing authorities and their interest in fair treatment. But we also are aware how staff and budget resources limit the ability of regulators to conduct thorough, successful criminal investigations. If this were a case of cheating in NASCAR or the NFL, there would be a commissioner with full authority and investigative expertise to step in and get to the bottom of it. In view of the highly charged public atmosphere surrounding the credibility of racing, the full resources of the Jockey Club, the NTRA, Breeders’ Cup and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association should be offered to the Delaware Racing Commission and the Department of Agriculture to assure a fair and credible resolution of this matter. If necessary, the entire purse from the race should be used to supplement required resources. As an owner, Two Bucks Stable is far more interested in the credibility of our horse, our trainer and our industry than we are the money.”
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Tags: association of racing commissioners international, clenbuterol, Congressional Hearing, delaware park, delaware thoroughbred racing commission, eight belles, Horse Racing, jim squires, john wayne, larry jones, Medication, model rules, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick, RCI, stones river, trainer insurer rule, two bucks, two bucks stable
Posted in Congressional Hearing, Horse Welfare, Industry Reform, Medication, People, Regulatory Issues | 6 Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
By Ray Paulick
John Sadler, the leading trainer at the recent Del Mar meeting whose barn was raided Aug. 18 by California Horse Racing Board investigators amidst allegations of multiple postive tests for anabolic steroids in horses he trains, has taken a "voluntary leave of absence" from his position as president and as a member of the board of directors of the California Thoroughbred Trainers.
In a Sept. 8 email to the Paulick Report, Ed Halpern, executive director of the CTT, confirmed that both Sadler, who in July was elected by the organization’s board of directors as president, "and the board agreed" on the action at an August meeting "because of the controversy surrounding recent revelations by the CHRB."
In addition, Halpern said, Jeff Mullins, a member of the CTT’s board, also agreed to take a voluntary leave of absence
"while current CHRB charges against him are litigated." Jack Carava and Clifford Sise were named as interim directors by the board. Jim Cassidy was named to replace Sadler as president of the organization.
During a phased-in ban on anabolic steroids, the CHRB began testing July 1 without treating positive tests as violations but informing trainers and owners if a horse tested positive. From Aug. 1-Sept. 3, positive tests were to be reported as violations but but penalized. Beginning Sept. 4, penalities are to be meted out on steroid positives. According to Thoroughbred Times, Sadler accounted for 18 of 38 positive tests after testing began.
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Tags: anabolic steroids, California Horse Racing Board, california thoroughbred trainers, CHRB, clifford sise, ctt, Del Mar, ed halpern, Horse Racing, jack carava, jeff mullins, john sadler, Medication, Paulick Report, Ray Paulick
Posted in California, California Horse Racing Board, Medication | 3 Comments »
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