Page 21 - July 2016

TAKING A STAND With a monumental rule change, the New Mexico Racing Commission’s message is loud and clear – drug abuse will not be tolerated any longer
On June 29, the New Mexico Racing Commission (NMRC) enacted one of the industry’s most aggressive and unique rules
designed to fight drug abuse in horse racing. The rule change is in direct response to the high number of positive tests for clenbuterol recorded in the state over the past two years. Moving forward, there will be no permis-
sible concentration of clenbuterol that will be allowed to appear in any official sample, and any horse that receives a positive test for a sub- stance carrying a Category A penalty, including clenbuterol, will be placed immediately on the stewards list.
On June 23, commissioners voted to approve the emergency rule change, which remains in effect for 30 days. At the July
21 NMRC meeting at Ruidoso Downs, Commissioners will vote again to decide whether to permanently add the rule change to New Mexico’s rules of racing.
“I’ve been involved in New Mexico racing for only four months, and one of the things that has most surprised me is the high number of
by Sue Zuber
positive tests – particularly for clenbuterol, but also for other related substances,” said NMRC Medical Director Dr. Scot Waterman, adding that there were 71 positive tests for clenbuterol in 2014 and 84 in 2015. “That means that dur- ing a two-year period, there were a total of 155 positive tests for a single drug. I can’t think of any other jurisdiction in North America that had 155 positive tests period during this time, let alone for one drug. What this indicates to me is that there has been a significant problem in the regulation of these drugs.”
Previously, a positive test for clenbuterol was subject to Category B penalties under the New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC). Owners faced the disqualification of the horse and loss of purse for the first two violations within a 365-day period, along with a $5,000 fine on the third offense. Licensed trainers were suspended and fined: a minimum of 15 days and $500 for the first offense; a minimum of 30 days and $1,000 for the second offense; and a minimum of 60 days and $2,500 for the third offense. Meanwhile, the horse could still
be entered in races and compete, as long as it passed a “commission-approved examination.”
“In calendar year 2016, we have not really seen a slow down in the positives for clen- buterol. So, we felt justification in implement- ing an extremely strong rule,” said NMRC Executive Director Ismael “Izzy” Trejo.
The new rule’s verbiage, written by Waterman, will fall under section 15.2.6 D.5. of the NMAC. The main part of the rule states: Any horse that is subject of a positive test report from the official laboratory for a drug in one of the following categories shall be placed immediately on the stewards list:
Any drug categorized by the Association of Racing Commissioner’s International “uniform classification guidelines for foreign substances and recommended penalties and model rule” incorporated by reference under NMAC 15.2.6.9 as a Penalty Class A substance;
Any prohibited anabolic androgenic steroid or any anabolic androgenic steroid in excess of the permitted concentrations listed pursuant to NMAC 15.2.6.9;
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