Page 41 - New Mexico Horse Breeder, Fall

Our industry can be extremely fickle when it comes to breeding and, too often, it comes down to a popularity contest. That’s fine if, as Dr. Waterman stated, a stallion’s form (or a mare, for that matter) is “based on its true athletic ability.” Mare owners must be confident they’re breeding to true, uncompromised athletic talent, since it’s impossible to genetically pass on speed that’s based on drugs.
Closing the Gap
New Mexico’s efforts to close all the gaps to prevent drug abuse offenders from falling through the cracks are getting stronger. The resolve is in place.
One of the most recent gap-closing techniques was utilized for the first time last year when the NMRC fined an owner $15,000 for multiple clenbuterol positives. Five horses, registered to the same owner, had positives for the substance, beginning in May, 2016. Two were caught in out-of-competition testing.
There were five accumulated positives for the same substance by September 25.
The NMRC’s Administrative Code allows the commission to penalize an owner up to $5,000 after the second “penalty B” drug violation. Could the message be any clearer? Most of us remember our parents telling us to choose our friends carefully. The same thing applies to owners choosing their trainers.
Hair testing hit the New Mexico racing scene full-force in July, 2017, with the first hair samples collected July 11. Huge headlines were made last year when an All American Futurity qualifier was cut from the $3,000,000 finals because of a positive clenbuterol hair test. The case wound up at the New Mexico Supreme Court, with the judge ruling in favor of the NMRC’s action. It was a heavy hit, especially since the court basically said due process for
a n ow ne r or t r a i ne r i s not m a nd a t e d w he n t he hor s e i s on t he s t e w a rd s’ l i s t . T h a t c lo s e s one of t he mo s t a bu s e d lo ophole s i n t he i ndu s t r y.
A not he r hor s e h a d t he plu g pu l le d on t he
$ 2 52 , 0 0 0 L a F i e s t a F u t u r i t y a t A l b u q u e r q u e .
R a y W i l l i s , N M RC C h a i r m a n , m a d e t h e commission’s intentions crystal clear when he said, “Let it be clear that now and for years to come, horses that come to New Mexico to compete
w i l l b e s u b j e c t t o h a i r t e s t i n g w h e t h e r i t ’s f o r o u t - o f- c o m p e t i t i o n t e s t i n g , a n o v e r n i g h t r a c e o r t h e state’s richest races. Furthermore, horses that train on clenbuterol in jurisdictions where it is legal and
come to New Mexico can be tested and if they test positive in the hair, they will not be permitted to race here in New Mexico.”
Don’t misinterpret Willis’ statement. The hammer is not being held overhead for out-of- staters only. The rules apply to everyone with the same, equally strict enforcement. But, one reason so much of the emphasis seems to be on out-of-state horses is because, in 2016, New Mexico had 169 drug violations. A majority
of those were from Quarter Horses with an extremely significant number of the involved trainers being from West Texas. At that time, clenbuterol was permitted in Texas. A ban on the substance didn’t become effective until September 18 of this year.
Why is Out-Of-Competition Testing (OOCT) so Important?
Many years ago, when OOCT was first mentioned, owners and trainers railed against the possibility. They said, among other things, that it would be an egregious invasion of privacy.
Still, in most racing jurisdictions, the acceptance and implementation of OOCT has been either slow or completely non-existent. Even California, a state that is usually the leader in everything from horse racing to social movements, is dragging its feet.
And along comes “little ol’ New Mexico,” stepping up to the plate and taking a leadership role.
Nearly 60-percent of all anti-doping in human sports are OOCT. Both human and horse testing is extremely effective at picking up short-acting drugs, most of which are
members of that organization knew it was imperative to pay more attention to substances being used in training, in order to prevent horses from winning a race before they ever reached the track.
New Mexico Racing Commission Chairman Ray Willis announced the enhanced out-of-competition testing program on April 21, 2016, at the NMRC’s monthly meeting. He remarked, “This project will be an aggressive procedure to let the public know that New Mexico racing is going in the right direction and we will start the testing immediately.”
There’s was absolutely no hesitation on the part of anyone when it came to support and cooperation. Affirmative nods of agreement came from the management teams of all the New Mexico racetracks, the New Mexico Horsemens’ Association and the New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association.
Fred Hutton, the Director of Racing for Zia Park, expressed a sentiment shared by all the tracks when he said, “I commend the aggressive approach taken by the NMRC.”
An NMRC investigator and a licensed veterinarian may show up at any time to randomly select a horse for testing.
May the trainer refuse to produce the horse?
Of course he may, but it wouldn’t be a
very good move since the horse in question
may be suspended for 120-days (maximum)
and the trainer may face a maximum 180-day suspension. You’re better off to allow the horse to be tested, even if you know it will test positive.
The NMRC’s fervent hope is the stiff, new regulations would make everyone think twice (or more) before crossing the line into the world of cheating.
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All American Ruidoso Downs Racing, LLC President and General Manager Jeff True
FALL 2018 39