Poole suspended 22 months for banned substance possession

Jeffrey Poole, a trainer recently based in Florida, has been handed a 22-month suspension by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit due to the possession of a banned drug used to stimulate the thyroid gland, according to HIWU records.

The 22-month suspension was issued by HIWU’s arbitral body, which is the first stage of appeals for a penalty under rules that went into effect on May 22. Poole had been issued a provisional suspension shortly after investigators discovered the banned substance in his barn on June 2.

The recommended penalty for the possession of a banned substance is two years. The substance found in Poole’s barn, levothyroxine, is used to stimulate the thyroid gland and increase metabolism. The racing industry began cracking down on the use of the drug approximately a decade ago after trainers were found to be using the drug without a prescription.

In the lead-up to HIWU’s rules taking effect on May 22, officials for HIWU and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority conducted seminars with horsemen and veterinarians warning that banned substances would be treated more harshly under the new rules. Trainers were also told to conduct searches of their tack rooms and supplies to remove any banned substances that might be in their possession.

Poole was also fined $10,000 and required to pay $8,000 in “arbitration costs.” HIWU”s rules allow the penalty to be appealed to the Federal Trade Commission, the overseer of HISA.

Poole had won three races from 41 starts this year while racing at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. After training sporadically from 1989 to 2004, Poole returned to training in 2021. He won seven races from 62 starts, with total earnings of $131,728, in 2022.

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