Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit issues two more provisional suspensions for banned substances
The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit has issued provisional suspensions to a New York veterinarian and a Pennsylvania-based trainer for violations involving banned substances, the second and third suspensions issued by the agency under new rules that went into effect May 22.
Dr. Luis Jorge Perez, a racetrack practitioner based on Long Island, was suspended after regulators discovered levothyroxine in his possession, according to a notice HIWU posted on its website. Levothyroxine is a thyroid hormone stimulant banned under rules enforced by HIWU, which took over the administration of the Anti-Doping and Medication Control program of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority on the May 22 date.
In addition, HIWU posted a notice on its website stating that Mario A. Dominguez, who has 12 wins from 51 starts this year, has been issued a provisional suspension after a horse he trained tested positive for the banned substance cobalt, a mineral that has been misused in racing under the belief that it can stimulate the production of red-blood cells and increase a horse’s oxygen-processing efficiency. There is no scientific evidence to support that belief.
The horse that tested positive for cobalt, Petulant Delight, won the first race at Parx Racing outside of Philadelphia on May 24. Petulant Delight was the 1.90-1 favorite in the seven-horse race for $5,000 claimers.
Possession of banned substances and positive tests for banned substances each carry a recommended two-year suspension, though that suspension can be reduced depending on a number of factors, including cooperating during the investigation and admitting guilt. Under HISA’s rules, licensees who are charged with an infraction relating to banned substances can be suspended prior to having a hearing.
Earlier this week, HIWU issued its first provisional suspension to trainer Jeffrey Poole, who is based in Florida, after charging him with possession of levothyroxine.
The two-year penalty for possession of banned substances appears to have caught some horsemen off guard. On Thursday, the Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, which supports HISA and HIWU, sent an alert to its members reminding them that HIWU’s penalties “are significantly higher than those imposed previously by state commissions.”
The notice recommended that trainers “give the barn, tack room, and feed room a regular, thorough cleaning” and “ensure that all medications are properly labeled and stored, and remove any banned substances or expired medications from the premises.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article said that Dominguez had been suspended for possession of cobalt. The suspension was based on the detection of cobalt in a drug-testing sample.
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