The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit recently has announced pending provisional suspensions of six Thoroughbred trainers based on alleged use of banned substances.
HIWU, the enforcement arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, has announced pending provisional (immediate) suspensions of the following trainers following alleged failed post-race tests that found the presence of a banned substance (or its metabolites or markers):
• Lorenzo Ruiz following an alleged finding for diisopropylamine in his runner American Cat June 25 after he won a claiming race at Los Alamitos Race Track.
• David Reid following an alleged finding for venlafaxine in his runner Maligator June 25 following a claiming race victory at Hawthorne Race Course.
• Javier Morzan and Guadalupe Munoz Jr. following alleged findings for metformin. HIWU said Morzan’s runner Lady Liv failed a test for that substance after her third-place finish in a June 24 starter optional claiming race at Delaware Park while Munoz’s runner Quinton’s Charmer failed a test June 11. (Quinton’s Charmer did not race or work June 11; HIWU does conduct out-of-competition testing.)
• Mary Pirone and Natalia Lynch following alleged findings for altrenogest. HIWU said Pirone-trained Benny the Jet failed a June 24 test following his fifth-place finish at Emerald Downs while HIWU said Lynch runner Motion to Strike failed a test after finishing fourth in a claiming race at Monmouth Park that same day.
The above trainers face up to two-year suspensions and $25,000 fines under HIWU’s banned substance rules and penalty guidance.
As for the banned substances, Diisopropylamine is a vasodilator (a substance that promotes dilation of blood vessels), venlafaxine (for humans) is an anti-depressant from the class of medications called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, in humans metformin is an anti-diabetic substance that manages high blood-sugar levels, and the United States Food and Drug Administration says that altrenogest belongs to the class of drugs called progestins and is used to suppress estrus (commonly called “heat” or “season”) in mares.
BloodHorse notes that these are initial allegations by HIWU. A June 4 banned substance finding against trainer McLean Robertson for altrenogest resulted in no sanctions when HIWU dropped the case.
Earlier this month HIWU lifted a provisional suspension against trainer Ray Handal over zeranol “based upon information submitted by the covered person and the review of relevant scientific information.” Handal’s attorney, Clark Brewster, noted that even though they reported an adverse analytical finding, it also reported an atypical finding of a substance called zearalenone, which comes from feed…and likely the source of the metabolite of zeranol, which is the prohibited medication.”
While the provisional suspension against Handal was lifted, HIWU noted that it had not dropped its Equine Anti-Doping Notice (the overall case).
HIWU has concluded its first case involving sanctions tied to a banned substance. Trainer John T. Brown was suspended 18 months beginning June 28 and fined $12,500 after his runner Rollin On Tequila tested positive for the banned substance isoxsuprine after finishing sixth in a May 31 claiming race at Thistledown.
