Page 25 - 7 July 2012

Positive Dermorphin Tests Popping Up Nationwide
Over 30 horses in New Mexico, Louisiana and Oklahoma have allegedly tested positive for dermorphin, a Class I drug also known
as “frog juice.” According to the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RTMC), Industrial Laboratories in Denver, Colorado, was alerted six months ago by state racing regulators to be vigilant for the highly potent opiate painkiller dermorphin—an alert that has resulted in a rash of post-race positives for the drug in at least two states. Believed to have 30 to 40 times more potency than morphine
in similar concentrations, dermorphin is pro- duced naturally as a skin secretion in certain species of South American frogs, but can also be produced synthetically. It is speculated that the drug is being manufactured synthetically due to the high doses that would be required to produce an effect in a racehorse.
Industrial Labs was the first to develop a method for detecting and identifying dermor- phin from official samples. Industrial Labs shared the testing method with LSU laboratory director Dr. Steve Barker, making it possible for his laboratory to confirm the detection of the drug in 15 split samples originating from Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission has publicly declined to comment on the pending cases in that state.
It is likely that dermorphin has been used for a substantial amount of time, as the LSU laboratory immediately began detecting positive samples after putting the new testing procedure in place.
Over the past few weeks, 11 horses in Loui- siana have tested positive for dermorphin, in- cluding four Thoroughbreds and seven Quarter Horses racing at Delta Downs, Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs. An additional nine positive tests have been confirmed at Ru-
idoso Downs in New Mexico by the University of California-Davis laboratory.
Industrial Labs conducts drug testing on be- half of racing commissions in Oklahoma, Colo- rado, Arizona, Minnesota and North Dakota, and has also shared the new testing method with a number of other laboratories across the U.S., introducing the possibility that more positives for the drug will be called in the next several weeks. Currently, the RMTC recommended penalty for a dermorphin positive is a minimum one-year suspension, loss of purse and $10,000 fine.
Delta Downs has suspended three Quarter Horse trainers—Alvin Smith Jr., Gonzalo Gonzalez, and Alonzo Loya—for six months each. Six months is the maximum suspension Louisiana stewards are allowed to issue. Each of the three cases have been referred to the Louisiana Racing Commission, which could issue additional suspensions of up to three years. Smith’s positive test came with Dashin Forward, who finished second in the Grade 2 Louisiana Bred Laddie Futurity on May 26. Dashin Forward was disqualified and the purse re-distributed, although Smith has appealed the ruling. Gonzalez’s positive test came with Be Home By Six, which also tested positive for a flunixin overage. Flunixin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is in the lowest class of drugs. He was fined an additional $500 for the overage. Loya’s positive test was on the horse Courvilles Buff. Louisiana Downs has issued a similar six-month suspension to Thor- oughbred trainer Keith Charles.
On June 26, the New Mexico Racing Com- mission verified the presence of positive tests, including five involving horses that competed in the Ruidoso Futurity-G1 and Ruidoso Derby-G1 trials. In addition to dermorphin, the positive tests also detected the presence of ractopamine, a muscle builder used in hogs; and stanozolol, a steroid banned for use in racehorses in New Mexico in 2009.
Some of those horses qualified for and com- peted in the finals before the positive tests from the trials were confirmed. While purse money has been distributed from the trials and finals, NMRC Director Vince Mares told Speedhorse there are rules in place to address the situation.
“They will have due process,” Mares said of the trainers involved with the positive tests. “If they are found culpable, they will be disquali- fied. Our rules say that we cannot hold purses even if they had a suspicious test in the trials. The tests have to be confirmed. After the finals the lab came back clean, so by our rules and regulations those purses have to be released. Now that we have confirmation back, there is a mechanism in place for the Commission to get that purse back.”
Mares has been vocal about his desire to clean up New Mexico’s image when it comes to drug testing. “We choose to use UC-Davis because they can confirm the tests,” he said.
“We came forward with a funding mechanism to assist with additional testing and recommended one of the foremost testing laboratories in the nation at U.C. Davis in California in an effort to ensure that racing at Ruidoso Downs and in New Mexico is above reproach and no harm comes to any of the equine athletes that race here,” said Ruidoso Downs general manager Shaun Hubbard.
“Much credit goes to the New Mexico Rac- ing Commission, which approved the California lab for the testing without hesitation and to the local Ruidoso Downs’ Horsemen’s Committee which voted unanimously to approve the fund- ing although that has yet to be approved by the Racing Commission,” Hubbard added.
Ruidoso Downs Race Track chairman of the board R.D. Hubbard called the positive tests an “important first step” in attacking a problem in New Mexico racing and nationwide.
“Some might think of these positive tests as a negative or black eye,” R.D. Hubbard said, “But, this is crucial in making a statement to our fans and horsemen that the illegal use of drugs will not be tolerated.”
At its June 21 meeting, the NMRC voted to toughen medication policies by adopting Asso- ciation of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) model rules, with the new regulations going into effect July 31. The new policies not only toughen penalties, but also lower the legal limits of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) a horse may be given before compe- tition. NMRC is also setting aside $45,000 to start an out-of-competition testing program.
Ruidoso Refutes Allegations Of Race Fixing In 2010 All American Futurity
On June 15, Ruidoso Downs released a statement refuting allegations that horses were purposely held at the start of the 2010 All American Futurity-G1 won by Mr Piloto. Mr Piloto is owned by Tremor Enterprises, an al- leged front organization for the Los Zetas drug cartel. The race fixing charges come from an FBI affidavit in which two informants stated a cartel leader said he had paid money—report- edly $10,000—for horses to be held at the race’s start. Ruidoso Downs General Manager Shaun Hubbard said they have looked at the video of the race from every angle many times and can find, “no evidence of any horse being held or denied a fair start.”
The affidavit also stated that an informant said Mr Piloto was given an illegal perfor- mance-enhancing substance 15 days before the
Eyesa Special To Brazil
Two-Time Champion Eyesa Special (Mr Eye Opener-Miss O Toole, Special Effort) has been sold to Condomino Eyesa Special and will move to Brazil to stand at LUB Breeding and Reproductive Center for a
fee of $5,000 U.S. The 1998 stallion won six of 10 starts, including the All American Futurity-G1, with $1,394,911 banked while racing for Terry Bell, Bud Hill and Jim Pitts. Eyesa Special is the sire of over $4.5 million from eight crops, including top money earner Eyesa Jumpn ($460,270).
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