I thought I would look up some pharmacokinetics data on EPO. It usu takes anywhere from 2-6 wks to have maximal effect. The half-life is 3-10hrs in humans and probably less in horses that are training. Thus, to dectect this drug is impossible. Now you can detect antibodies to this medicine but EPO CONTAINS THE IDENTICAL AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF ISOLATED NATURAL EPO. Thus, even if you detect antibodies, how can you prove that they did not form against natural epo. Also, antibodies usu. last a long time(some forever, that why vaccines work)so how can you prove that this trainer gave his horse EPO. You are going to have to adjust your handicapping for this drug, just realize that it won\'t turn horses in Cigar overnight(or was Cigar on EPO, just kidding). The best way to track EPO is to track the distribution since you need a prescription but people using this drug have probably figured a way to get it in the black market.
OPM,
You lost me when you wrote the word \"pharmacokinetics\", otherwise good work.
Someone I know who is on the Kentucky Racing Commission did say what you said that \'detection was the real issue.\'
Pharmacokinetics is how the body deals with a drug. For example, some drugs are broken down in the liver, some in the kidney. Also, it tells you how quickly the drug goes through the system, etc.
\"If you can\'t afford the surgery, I would be happy to touch-up the X-rays.\" Henny Youngman.
And my mother always told me that this horse racing stuff was a waste of my time. If she was only around today so that I could tell her that, thanks to racing, I now know all about pharmacokinetics.
The scarry thing is that today their are probably a lot of trainers out there that knew all about it already...
Chris