Jennie Rees had a blog entry about Dutrow\'s overage. She makes a couple of interesting points. One is that, pharmacologically, there is no significant difference between the amount of clenbuterol found in the plasma of Dutrow\'s Salute The Count (41 picograms) and the Kentucky limit (25 picograms). The second is that there is a wide disparity of clenbuterol thresholds between states. Louisiana allows 500 picograms. Texas (as with Asmussen\'s lidocaine positive) has zero tolerance.
http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/trackside/2008/06/putting-dutrow-clenbuterol-overage-in.html
Here\'s an old (2003) Bloodhorse opinion piece from Barry Irwin arguing that a lot of trainers are using clenbuterol just to keep up with the Joneses and that its presence should not be permitted on race day. His reasons include the expense of the drug and the fact that it can make \"horses shake like an alcoholic with D.T.\'s."
http://opinions.bloodhorse.com/article/16735.htm
On the flip side is a recent post from Sighthound noting that keeping horses in a stall all day (often in unhealthy environments) prevents them from grazing with their heads down and thus clearing their nasal passages naturally. Clenbuterol is one response to that.
http://www.thorograph.com/phorum/read.php?1,43746,43796#msg-43796