Harness: PHHA joins USTA and other horsemen's groups for drug research study with SMRTL

The Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association announced Friday (Feb. 17) that they will be joining the U.S. Trotting Association, Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association, Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of NJ, and the Standardbred Owners Association of New York in funding a research project with the Sports Medicine Research & Testing Laboratory (SMRTL).

The research will seek out legally defensible extraction methodologies for a variety of modified erythropoietin (EPO) biosimilars.

"The Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association feels strongly about ridding the sport of those who fall outside of the regulatory boundaries," said PHHA President Sam Beegle in making the announcement. "This effort is a positive step toward doing that and we are more than happy to contribute."

SMRTL is one of two United States Anti-Doping Agency labs that does research and testing in the area of human sports for the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The work will be done at the SMRTL lab in Jordan, Utah, by Daniel Eichner (PhD), President of SMRTL, and his associates Geoffrey D. Miller (PhD) and Chad Moore (PhD).

To read the original announcement from the USTA, OHHA, SBOA of NJ and SOA of NY, click here.

-edited release (USTA Communications)