Attheracesandbeyond

[marcus]

interesting thing imo about those two is when the medication issue is on the table , neither really had ideas - doesn\'t make sense  ...

[jma11473]

The mild winter is definitely over...

[Kasept]

Thanks to a number of requests, last week\'s \'Mutuel Interests\' show will be re-played Wednesday (2/8) from 4-7pm (Internet only) and on twice on SIRIUS 125 Thursday morning (1-4am & 4-7am EST)..

http://www.attheracesandbeyond.com (Click on LISTEN LIVE link for the 4-7pm airing..)

[miff]

Contaminants, \'Zero Tolerance\' on Collision Course
by Tom LaMarra
Date Posted: February 9, 2007
Last Updated: February 9, 2007

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A Louisiana research project that shows racehorses can come into contact with drug residue just about anywhere on the backstretch has some horsemen calling for an end to "zero tolerance" drug-testing policies and creation of a national panel to examine data before inadvertent positives are called.

The study, presented by Dr. Steven Barker during the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association Medication Committee meeting Feb. 9 in Hot Springs, Ark., revealed small quantities of six drugs were found in samples taken from ship-in stalls, the test barn, and pools of water at Louisiana racetracks. Even dust samples were tested and trace amounts of substances were found.

Barker, the chemist for the Louisiana State Racing Commission who plans to publish his findings, said small amounts of phenylbutazone, flunixin, naproxen, caffeine, furosemide, and cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, were discovered in samples. Flunixin, a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was the most prevalent, the study showed.

Some drugs were detected from just wiping the interior of stalls.

"We could have gone to other areas of that stall and found other drugs," Barker said during his presentation to horsemen. "Clearly, the backside of a racetrack is heavily contaminated with drugs. Hopefully, you're scared."

With highly sensitive testing methods and zero-tolerance policies, a trainer could be charged with a positive for having one molecule of a substance in a sample, Barker said. Other potential sources of trace amounts of drugs are feed, pasture grasses, improper handling of samples, and mistakes by veterinarians, he said.

Barker said even with precautions in stable areas, drug residue wouldn't be eliminated. Therefore, he said threshold levels for drugs are a necessity.

"First of all, we need to abolish the concept of zero tolerance," Barker said. "It's an over-simplified attempt to regulate drugs. There's no sense to continue that nonsense. You can't eliminate drug contamination, so you have to approach it at the interpretation-of-data end."

Kent Stirling, executive director of the Florida HBPA and chairman of the National HBPA Medication Committee, criticized laboratories and regulators. He said labs get business "by showing regulators they can find things," and regulators "believe any time there is a (positive) it was an attempt by the trainer to compromise a race. A lot of people judge labs by number of calls."

Stirling said the suggestion of a drug-positive review panel should be taken to the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium for consideration. Barker said the panel would "offer some kind of political cover for the industry to establish better thresholds."

The RMTC is in the process of having research performed to establish threshold levels for almost 50 therapeutic medications. Barker, Stirling, and other said thresholds are important given regulations that don't keep in step with technology.

Barker claimed about 80% of drug positives fall under the category of having no impact on a horse outside of 24 hours. "These comments I've heard that any level (of a substance) could potentially have an impact on performance ... oh, crap."

In another presentation, Dr. Thomas Tobin of the University of Kentucky discussed caffeine and its metabolites. Tobin, an adviser to the National HBPA, noted the variation in threshold levels for caffeine in various jurisdictions--30 nanograms per milliliter in urine in Hong Kong to 1,000 nanograms per milliliter in Canada.

"Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance on earth," said Tobin, who is continuing to research the drug. "It's a hunting license for a chemist."

Dr. Robert Lewis, a former president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and currently the organization's representative on the RMTC, said the RMTC has been effective at getting people to focus on the issues. He cited the group's recommendation to regulate steroids, an action he called proactive.

"The RMTC at first had competing agendas, but no one group dominated," Lewis said. "It has been a largely educational process. It has been rewarding to watch the evolution."

As for Barker's research project, Lewis said it should be presented to the RMTC.

"It opens everybody's eyes to hear this kind of material," Lewis said. "I think it takes peer pressure from the leaders of this industry to get the attention of regulators in these different states. The disparity in the way labs in this country handle post-race samples has been a huge problem."


Copyright © 2007

[richiebee]

Very good stuff Miff, showing that Racing will always have a problem
establishing a balance between \"zero tolerance\" and \"zero credibility\".

In terms of the dangers of performance enhancing drugs, I have always thought
that legal and more invasive procedures performed (like tapping and injecting
knees and ankles)have a more damaging long term effect on the general health of
the thoroughbred population, yet these procedures continue unchecked.

In an unrelated matter, the Thursday NY Daily News reported a rumor that NYRA
might be allowed to continue administering NY racing if NYRA drops its legal
claims to the ownership of the property. Any truth to this?

[miff]

Richiebee,

Keep your fingers crossed for NYRA, the alternatives will be a disaster for New york racing in the long run.Talks have become \"more cordial\" with the state although Spitzer does not love NYRA management and vice versa.The withdrawl of the lawsuit over the land ownership was a great move by NYRA.

A plan joining the cancerous OTB\'s and NYRA is gaining some steam in Albany.The treachery amongst the present suitors for NY racing would make a great book.Spitzer, Bruno and Silver hold all power in the State and the final decision will be agreed by them before this thing is over.

If NYRA keeps the franchise, several fairly prominent horsemen(spies for the opposition) will be gone,imo.

Mike

[fkach]

I find it depressing that some people are actually rooting for the organization (NYRA) that has managed NY racing into a slow death spiral in recent years.  When I go to Belmont on a beautiful spring or summer day, it\'s like a ghost town. Overpriced food, endless poor racing, small fields etc... I went to AQU last winter and I\'ll never go again. I have no axe to grind. I\'m not even familiar with the alternatives. Maybe they are even worse. But if this isn\'t a reason to be depressed about NY racing, I don\'t know what is.

[richiebee]

Fkach:

  I am a huge fan of New York racing for over 30 years, but not necessarily a
big fan of NYRA. That being said, I would like to say that NY racing\'s current
problems have a lot to do with the state of New York.

1) NYRA has been forced to compete with OTB for 30 years. This would have
created a much larger problem if OTB had been anything but a poorly run
patronage mill.

2) The state of New York has delayed the opening of the VLT facility at Aqu
for the last 5 years.

No matter who ends up in control of the NY franchise, their biggest problem will
be to determine what is to be done with the 2 downstate \"white elephants\",
Belmont and Aqueduct. New York racing\'s future going forward should be based
on the construction of a modern multi purpose facility at one of these
locations;only then will NY racing be able to retain and grow its customer
base.

[fkach]

richiebee,

\"1) NYRA has been forced to compete with OTB for 30 years. This would have
created a much larger problem if OTB had been anything but a poorly run
patronage mill.\"

You don\'t have to tell me about the problems caused by NY State (or any government for that matter). I equate government with problems.

I agree on #1.  

Wasn\'t this something that NYRA management more or less allowed to happen in the beginning because they didn\'t understand the impact the silly deal they agreed to would have on their business?

[TGJB]

Miff-- a distinction has to be made (as I already know that you know) between drugs like the ones mentioned above, and those that serve as direct performance enhancers (EPO, raceday Clenbuteral, alkalizing agents, etc.).

The problem with a national board is the same as the one I described on the radio show-- it will have no power. No matter what its findings, if the horsemen within a certain jursidiction don\'t like them, they will do everything they can to block enforcement.

Side comment-- there has been a lot of talk on this board about Assmussen. I happen to be working with the guy, but we\'re not particularly friendly, so the following is based stricly on looking at sheets of his horses-- there is no indication he is moving horses up. When a trainer has a lot of horses come in and out of his barn it\'s easy to tell-- take a look at the sheets of Amoss and Autrey horses at FG, to name a couple on the same circuit.

The big problem comes in assessing those trainers who get horses unraced, and keep them until they retire.

Of course, every once in a while there\'s a Fleet Indian...

[marcus]

the land issue imo was a good move by nyra - either way . i\'m beginning to belive that problems may be fixed from where we are now . that might not be the case if big and not necesarily positive change take place  . i\'m mildly impressed with the group that recently held the towne hall meeting upstate .

-additionally... by vitue of it\'s proximety to jfk & highway and public trans inferstructure i see Aqu prominently in the center of any  ny racing revitilization attempts . to me , bel has lost alot position and leverage for it\'s future and continued survial with the extended sar meet .

[miff]

Jerry,

I agree but a problem which no one speaks of is the smaller honest hard working trainers in New York and elsewhere who are maybe a nano/contaminent positive away from perhaps losing their livelyhood.Too many people are looking at the usual perps without regard for the honest guys who are being lumped in because they hold a trainers license.Imagine losing your career due to an overzealous test lab looking to impress it\'s clients.

Several solid trainers in NY are purposely giving LEGAL meds further out than allowed for fear of positives. Conversly, the move up trainers are walking very close to the edge in this regard because they can afford it.Thats just with legal stuff.The blood dope et al still remain undetected.
I have seen no solutions proposed which can level the playing field.

Only because I think you kinda inferred, the last guy that I think is using illegal stuff in NY is Pletcher.Run his stock thru a TG proram and you will not see any pattern of move ups over the entire sampling.I don\'t see it, maybe you do. Everybody gets tired of getting beat by TAP short priced runners so they yell juice, but I remain convinced that he\'s legit.I have a list of TAP runners, their acquistion cost, sales training splits et al and by their performance, illegal stuff just don\'t add up.

Mike



P.S. I respect TAP, he\'s an acquaintance and I think the board gives him a bad rap without considering he has the best barn in the world by far and only wins at 25%.

[TGJB]

Mike-- as I said, it\'s tough to do a study with guys like Pletcher and Frankel because of how their operations work. But it is notable that both barns had a lot of horses move way up a few years ago when they hired Allday (Left Bank was one who jumped at the time, if I\'m not mistaken, and I think Frankel hooked up with him Spring 2001).

[miff]

Jerry,

I remember Left Banks freaky performances.I would think that with say a few hundred millions dollars worth of stock over the years that a freak could show up on occasion.Bobby Frankel is a sharp human being and maybe a great horseman or juicer, don\'t know.

As far as Allday, I wonder how TAP went 0 for 30( I think) in the TC and BC races this year.


Mike

[Michael D.]

TGJB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Side comment-- there has been a lot of talk on
> this board about Assmussen. I happen to be working
> with the guy



Jerry, don\'t you see the problem here?

Is it a case of \"can\'t beat em join em\", or do you really think Asmussen is OK?