Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit issues first provisional suspension

Jeffrey Poole, a trainer who has started 41 horses in Florida this year, has been issued a provisional suspension by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit after he was found to be in possession of a banned substance that stimulates the production of thyroid hormone, according to a notice posted on HIWU’s website.

The suspension is the first disciplinary action handed down by HIWU since the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority took over responsibility for drug-testing and enforcement on May 22 in most U.S. racing jurisdictions. HIWU is a contracted partner of HISA that administers the drug-testing program.

The brief notice says that Poole was found to be in possession of a banned substance on June 2 of this year. The substance was levothyroxine, a synthetic form of a thyroid hormone. Regulators in racing have cracked down on the use of thyroid stimulants in racing over the past decade due to some evidence of a link to sudden deaths and widespread misuse of the substance.

Under HISA’s rules, trainers can be issued a provisional suspension prior to a hearing if the rule infraction deals with banned substances. HISA’s rules also require public notice of any adverse finding resulting from a banned-substance violation.

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HISA’s guidance calls for a two-year suspension for possession of a banned substance, though that penalty can be reduced significantly depending on a number of factors, including admission of guilt and cooperation with investigators.

Poole has three wins from his 41 starts in 2023. All of his starts this year have come at Tampa Bay Downs or Gulfstream Park in Florida.

Lifetime, Poole has won 50 races from 459 starts. He started horses sporadically from 1989 until 2004, then returned to training in 2021. In 2022, he won 7 races from 62 starts, with total earnings of $131,728.

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