Big Brown's Owners Say Stable Will Go Steroid Free
By JOE DRAPE New York Times
Published: June 23, 2008
The owners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown, saying they want to lead the way to the elimination of performance-enhancing drugs in horse racing, announced Sunday that they would immediately begin withdrawing all steroids and any unnecessary medications from their horses.
Michael Iavarone, a co-president of International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, said that the more than 50 horses owned by his stable would be drug free by Oct. 1, and that he would pay for tests to be administered by state or track veterinarians before and after each of their races to prove it.
"I know Big Brown or any of our horses do not need this stuff to win," he said. "I'm not worried about an uneven playing field, either. The cost of the drug tests are a small price to pay for the integrity of the sport. I'm urging other owners to join us, and let's turn the game around."
Iavarone said Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow, backed the self-imposed ban on all medications perceived to be performance-enhancing. The stable's horses will run on the legal antibleeding medication Lasix when necessary, however.
It was Dutrow who put steroids and performance-enhancing drugs front and center during Big Brown's failed run for the Triple Crown this spring when he acknowledged that Big Brown had been receiving steroid injections in the months before the Derby. Dutrow later said that Big Brown had last received the drug on April 15.
Big Brown's owners, known as I.E.A.H., also came under scrutiny when they said that they intended to create a $100 million horse fund that would operate like a hedge fund, then struck a deal to sell Big Brown's breeding rights for about $60 million.
Last Thursday, a Congressional subcommittee lambasted the sport for lax drug policies, faulty breeding and an emphasis on greed over transparency in a hearing titled "Breeding, Drugs, and Breakdowns: The State of Thoroughbred Horseracing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred Racehorse."
One member after another told witnesses, who included owners, breeders and veterinarians, that if they did not clean up their sport, Congress would reopen the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978, which provided the legal basis for wagering on horse races across state lines. Last year, such wagering accounted for 90 percent of the $15 billion wagered on thoroughbred races.
"I was moved by the hearing and I saw one witness after another say they wanted zero tolerance on drugs," Iavarone said. "Someone has to take the first step. We want other owners to join us immediately. Racing can't wait for state laws or house rules or Congress. What we have to get this done is the integrity of the people involved in the sport."
I.E.A.H. has had some notable success on the racetrack in its few years of existence. So far in 2008, I.E.A.H. horses have won more than $5.7 million in purses and won at a 23 percent clip. They have also captured prestigious races in Dubai, where the rules against drug use are the most stringent in the world. In fact, Dutrow, in written testimony submitted to the subcommittee, cited his horses' victories in two $1 million races there as evidence that his stable could thrive in a drug-free environment.
It was the on-track euthanization of the filly Eight Belles after she finished second in the Derby, and Dutrow's admission that he injected Big Brown with the anabolic steroid Winstrol, that have fueled the Congressional and public scrutiny of horse racing.
Before the Belmont Stakes, Dutrow said he had taken Big Brown off Winstrol, last administering it in mid-April. When Big Brown was eased at the far turn and loped home in last place, his performance fueled speculation that the colt's previous unbeaten record had been the result of drug use.
Beyond damaging Big Brown's reputation, the stunning loss in the Belmont cost I.E.A.H. at least $50 million in the breeding shed and in future marketing deals, Iavarone said.
If Big Brown, a bay colt, never raced again, he might attract $40,000 to $75,000 for a breeding session versus the $100,000 to $200,000 he would have earned as a nobly defeated Triple Crown challenger or the 12th horse to sweep the series.
Iavarone said he was going to ask racetracks and Daily Racing Form to print in their programs that horses owned by I.E.A.H., and any owner who adopts the policy, be listed as drug free.
Iavarone also said that if any of his horses failed the drug test that I.E.A.H. intends to pay for, the company would return the purse money.
Racing Industry Lightweight Iavarone grandstanding to take center stage while Tricky wants all vets banned from the racetrack, hee hee, too funny.
IEAH Stables Adopts No-Drug Policy
Michael Iavarone, co-president of IEAH Stables.
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
IEAH Stables has taken the first bold step in securing a no-drug policy in racing by announcing Monday that all its horses starting Oct. 1 will race without any medication, with the exception of Lasix, which trainer Rick Dutrow asked that they exclude because several of his horses are bleeders and require Lasix to race.
"We have decided to withdraw all of our horses from medication, except for Lasix," IEAH co-president Mike Iavarone told Blood-Horse. "We're beginning Oct. 1 because the horses should be clear of all substances by that time.
"In addition, we are willing to allow racetracks to do pre- and post-race testing on all our horses, and we will pay all expenses."
IEAH will issue a press release June 23 that reads in part: "While regulatory standards and indeed legislation may be required to resolve most of the controversial issues surrounding our sport, we believe our announcement today is a step in the right direction. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first racing stable in North America to make this commitment. We encourage others to follow our lead.
"Moreover, in the interest of fairness to the wagering public, we will request and strongly urge that race programs include data indicating which horses will run with medication, which will run free of medication. The programs should also indicate which owners/trainers decline to divulge this information."
Iavarone feels now is the time for someone to step up and take drastic action, and he challenges all owners to follow suit.
"I'm sick of people getting up there and saying 'no drugs, no drugs, no drugs,' and doing nothing about it," he said. "Everybody can put their hand up and say they want change, but at the end of the day, if the owners want change they can make change. They own the horses, they pay the bills. The trainers aren't going to tell the owners what they can and can't do. When I told Rick about this, I didn't give him a choice. I said, 'Rick, here's what I want to do. It's not open to a jury or for discussion." I wanted to go without Lasix and ban everything, but Rick begged me to just give him Lasix, because he has certain horses he feels need it. In the future, we can even go with racetrack-approved use of Lasix. He didn't fight me or even take one step back. He said, 'Just give me Lasix; I don't need all that other garbage.'
"I want this information put in the program, because this way you'll know who's willing to take this step. I know I'll be out there on an island by myself, but I'm telling the racing world, not only are we removing our horses from medication, we want you to test them and we'll pay for it. If we fail a pre-race test we can't enter, and if we fail a post-race test we're disqualified. This way, no one can say it's a jurisdiction problem or a legislation problem. I told Rick it doesn't make sense for us to run horses and win races like the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and be questioned because our horse is on steroids."
IEAH races Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Big Brown in partnership. The horse finished last in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) after being eased. Dutrow had said all the horses in his stable, including Big Brown, received steroids monthly.
Iavarone vows to take an aggressive approach, and hopes that other owners will follow suit.
"One thing I can promise you, I'm going to go out there with a megaphone and stand behind this even if I'm on my own," he said. "I'm sure people will look at this and not do anything about it, but what they don't know is that I'm going to go on a campaign. I can't stand hypocrisy and there are hypocritical people in this game. All I'm doing is taking a forward step and challenging other owners. Let's see who really wants to play fair and let's see who just wants to win races. We find the best horses that are out there, and I can't believe the only reason why we have leading horses in their divisions is because they run on Winstrol.
"We have a lot of money behind us and huge support from our people, and we will spend money to campaign and expose the people who talk and don't do. And I've urged Rick to call all his owners to do the same and not make it look like an IEAH thing only. If they can do it in Dubai, and France, and England, you're trying to tell me you can't do it here? The only reason why they haven't done it here is because the states control everything. So, the owners have to step in. All I'm trying to say to the owners is, 'Hold on, you can't tell me that you have to wait for legislation.'" If the owners tell their trainers they want nothing in their horses and they're going to pay for drug tests, it can be stopped. And I will lobby for it like a son of a bitch. What's beautiful about it is I'm going to have an unbelievable forum: the Breeders' Cup. Oct. 1 we're off all medication, we're going to get tested well in advance of the Breeders' Cup, and we're going to have a bunch of horses running on those two days. And if there are 10 horses in the Classic and Big Brown is the only one that's listed in the program as being drug-free, I'm going to ask why."
Iavarone said he wants to follow the same guidelines they use in Europe. According to the National Trainers Federation in England, horses can train with medication, such as Butazolidan, and are given a table of detection times to determine how long it takes for a drug to be out of a horse\'s system. All medications, including Bute, are prohibited, and must be out of a horse\'s system by race day.
Iavarone said he is willing to let the results of this action dictate how IEAH Stables is perceived and its future in the industry.
"What's going to happen if they don't see a drop in our performance? he asked. "One of our people asked, 'What if this winds up hurting us?' I said, 'If it hurts us and we go down, then we shouldn't have been up in the first place.'"
Dutrow said he has no problem running his horses drug-free, but wants there to be a level playing field.
\"If all the drugs were taken out of the racing game and veterinarians were not allowed on the grounds, we would do so much better,\" Dutrow said. \"If they would not allow vets on the grounds, period, our stable would continue to do very very well, probably do a lot better, because it would eliminate some of these trainers who do use drugs. You have to look at that part of the game, not what we\'re doing. We\'re not the bad guys. You never see our stable where we go off and win 15 in a row and then the next month you can\'t find our horses. We run a solid, steady outfit.
\"The only thing we do, when my horses breeze I give them Bute. They might not run for two weeks, but when they breeze I give them all Bute after they breeze, and I don\'t use a needle, I give the Bute paste. I keep my horses on Clenbuterol, which helps keep their head clear of mucus, and the vets do not give that; I give it right over the tongue. I give my horses Adequan (which improves joint function) the day that they breeze if they have issues. And I give my horses Winstrol; that\'s all that I do. And it\'s all basic maintenance. If they say no more steroids in the game, I would have to know how long it would be when you take them off before they would test clean, because I don\'t see where Winstrol is damaging our horses. I only see it as something that helps them out (helping them maintain their appetite).\"
I like this idea. It\'s a challange to \"Put up or shut up\". It will be very interesting to see who follows suit - and who does not.
I like Iavarones idea and as I have said from the getgo he is class guy. A good guy.
Dutrow now on the other-hand was rather as a matter fact about his comments. So if it is that \"So What\" why didn\'t he show up last week at the Congressional Hearing and say the same things.
Also I\'m not sure Dutrow could/should be trusted practicing Veterinarian Medicine.
Right Babe.
I agree. Some one who routinely uses steroids has at last taken a stand, and it can only be good for the sport. Grandstanding or not, the gauntlet has been thrown. Those breeders and owners who have been following the rules all along have reason to hope that the sport will finally begin to see a level playing field. If there ever was a time for grass roots reform, it is now.
1-- Talk is cheap. Let\'s see how the monitoring is done, and what they test for.
2- As Barry Irwin informed us here, they don\'t test for alkalyzing agents (TCO2 test) in Dubai.
3-- Most interesting thing in either article was Dutrow saying he administers Clenbuterol himself, without a vet.
I bet that raised more than a few eye brows across the industry. The fact that they\'re 15 minutes haven\'t quite wore out yet helps the cause. Now, if they can indeed get that info into the program, that would be huge.
have to admit though JB, it\'s a nice first step.
won\'t mean anything unless there is follow-through and they test for EVERYTHING but it certainly is a good step in the right direction from a surprising source.
Best part for me was when he said he didn\'t ask Dutrow but he told them that this was the way they were going to do that, I respect that alot if that\'s how it went down.
JB,
Not that surprising since quite a few trainers are fooling with administering stuff without vets, most dangerous, imo.The absurdity of what is being said by Iavarone is that if no one but IEAH races \"cold\", they will be out of business within 2 years, imo.
It is very easy to be cavalierish with other peoples money. Legal maintenance meds that helps a horse through the stress of racing is an absolute necessity,as are the dedicated vets who help theses horses.If trainers are forced to basically race cold, including lasix,you will see far less racing dates with most small outfits going out of business.
In the paranoia and bandwagon jumping, too many people are confusing the illegal stuff with the ordinary and necessary maintenance meds.This matter should be dealt with by the experts in the equine medical/testing field as opposed to an owner with very little knowledge.
Mike
I believe that is the way it went down because I believe the guy (Iavarone) is serious and committed NOW about doing something in this industry.
Doing something right that is.
As far as Tricky and the Milkshakes in Dubai go. If they did do it, it wasn\'t him.
Remember, he didn\'t go to Dubai........
Huh? We\'re talking about putting something in the feed, you think he has to be there when they eat it?
Clenbuterol is not dispensed as a unit dose med, it\'s a bottle (legend product from a veterinarian), and every trainer gives it himself. Nobody has a vet come in to give it daily.
Well, considering everybody elses\' horse at the Breeders Cup will have to be \"off all medication except lasix\", too, what\'s the big deal?
Dutrow is going to be very unhappy vets are banned from the track when he has a horse colic, get heat exhaustion, or tie up.
Per Dutrow \" I give my horses Adequan (which improves joint function) the day that they breeze if they have issues.\" Again this shows his lack of knowledge of the impacts of what he is giving his horses. I used this years ago when I owned/trained--it does improve joint function by stimulating synovial lining activity and increasing join fluid viscosity. It is a useful product.
But the typical therapeutic program is a prescribed dosage given every 4 days for 6 treatments. A "shot" before breezing would do little good except cost his owners $$$$$. It is not cheap!
Owners/Horses would be better served by trainers investing in heart rate monitor systems ($200-$400) that can provide information regarding the physiological improvement/decline of their horse(s). I used them on horses; I train with one myself--heck my daughters swim club utilizes heart rate information to assess/monitor training. I\'d be curious how many trainers use heart rate information--it is the easiest, fastest and most accurate way to assess training/performance. My guess is not many use this technology. My guess is most trainers have no idea on how to measure athletic progress of the horses in their care...
Drugs are easier then training...
Sight-- do you know whether the test for Clenbuterol is pre or post race?
I completely agree there is a huge difference between legitimate medical care and doping up for races. However, medicating to hide symptoms is just as bad in my opinion. But I don\'t think that\'s what you meant, Miff. If a horse is having problems, the animal shouldn\'t be raced, period. That\'s why vets need to be an integral part of every aspect of the business. Owners or trainers dispensing drugs without vet over site is very scary.
Girly,
If every horse had to go the post \"perfect\" or as you said, symptom free without meds,there would be no racing.
Mike
Are there any race horses in the world that are sound? I should think so! It reminds me of dog lovers who breed and breed until the inbreeding leads to constant health problems in their precious pooches. Ughh! But that\'s another subject... Isn\'t it great to have debates here without the infantile posturing that we\'d been subjected to in the past? Thank you TGJB! This board has really improved-
Clenbuterol is tested post-race, in urine or plasma/serum.
IEAH equals Iavarone Exudes Amazing Hypocrisy.
Hey fella if you really wanted to clean up Racing maybe you should read Michael
D\'s link from the (Baltimore?) paper which chronicles the malfeasances of your
trainer. Something like 70 sanctions-- personal drug use, medication positives,
failure to follow proper scratch procedures, foal papers and/or colors not
available--the guy never met a rule he didn\'t think was made to be broken.
\"Babe\" has shown an incredible ignorance of (or disregard for) the rules of
Racing. He blew off Congress with the novel explanation that he didn\'t graduate
high school and wouldn\'t be very effective as a witness.
I think Congress should have subpoenaed him. I think Babe\'s nearly 20 or so
years of disregard for the rules of Racing should have been made a matter of
public record.
Just imagine how many more suspensions he could have incurred if he hadn\'t been
sat down for 5 years for his own personal drug use
Even For Life,
A heart rate monitor is an interesting idea. The figure sheets themselves indicate athletic progression. Do any of the maintenance meds affect heart rate
results? Do inconsistencies with track conditions,weather(precipitation,temp,wind)
potentially skew the results of the heart monitor? I would imagine there\'s room
for the calculation of those factors. It is very intriguing however.
Respectfully,
Flighted Iron
Flighted Iron
A number of issues can impact the HR readings of a horse—such as those you mention. But what you do is develop a baseline for an individual horse that consists of resting, pre-work-out; work-out and recovery HR (within a range). In addition, you record other information impacting the work—temperature, track condition, meds, etc. Over a period of time patterns become recognizable and a trainer will be able to truly understand the athletic progress/performance of his/her horse. With our horses, I could foresee illness/problems in advance due to variations from my baseline readings. I also would know when my horse was fit and be in position to deliver improved/peak performance.
We did this years ago with the onboard HR monitor, and keeping paper records. Now you can download all the data from the monitor onto your computer and use very specific software to manage/analyze the information. Some monitors are integrated with GPS systems so you can accurately manage distance/velocity/etc.
I cannot see how a trainer can design/manage a fitness program with out this essential data. Cardiovascular fitness is probably the most important and practical way to assess fitness. I bet most trainers would not know what their horses resting HR, aerobic zone, Anaerobic threshold and Max HR are. In my book, you need this information to train...(by the way here are the ranges for horses: Resting HR 30-40 BPM; Aerobic HR 150-170; Anaerobic HR—170+; Max HR 220-250).
Even for Life
Even For Life,
Do you subscribe to the thorograph sheets or get the sheets for your own
horses? If yes: I\'m curious if a horse that was entering a probable bounce pattern actually was improving cardiovascularly and in fact did not bounce
on the sheets in the subsequent outing? The resting HR is similar to a human
who does serious distance training. I would guess it\'s due to their size?
Respectfully,
Flighted Iron