Albuterol positive in Spawr barn

The California Horse Racing Board said Monday that it had issued a complaint against trainer William Spawr after one of his horses tested positive for a prohibited drug.

The horse, a 3-year-old filly named Bafferta, tested positive for albuterol, a bronchial dilator, after finishing first in a $52,000 allowance at Santa Anita on March 8 this year. The CHRB has scheduled a hearing into the positive on October 3, the board said.

Albuterol, the active ingredient in most asthma inhalers, is a Class 3 prohibited drug, according to guidelines issued by the Association of Racing Commissioners International. The recommended penalties for a Class violation are a suspension of 60 days to six months, a $1,500 fine, and a loss of purse.

The board said that a split sample from Bafferta was tested by the Michigan Department of Agriculture Laboratory, which confirmed the finding.

Bronchial dilators like albuterol expand airways in the lungs. They are most often used to treat pulmonary congestion.