TheHorse.com, KY
09-08-06
Kentucky, Ohio Employ Upgraded Blood-Doping Tests
by: Tom LaMarra
Kentucky has performed random testing for blood-doping antibodies in
racehorses of all breeds for more than a year, but now it's testing for the actual
proteins, a process that could put more teeth in penalties.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority is now using procedures similar to those in
Ontario, Canada, where tests for erythropoietin (EPO) and related substances
have led to lengthy suspensions and hefty fines in Standardbred racing.
Kentucky moved to a new ELISA test, which is now screened at the
Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory at the University of
Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania lab's tests led to the Ontario sanctions. The racing industry
has long sought a definitive test for blood-doping proteins rather than antibodies.
KHRA executive director Jim Gallagher said the state began using an ELISA test
developed by Lexington-based Neogen Corp. The test is believed to be more
effective in the initial screening process for blood-doping substances.
"We've heard the test might have better results, so we put in the rotation similar
to what Canada has done," Gallagher said. "We haven't had a lot of hits on
(previous) test kits. There's an assumption in the industry that Neogen testing kits
lead you to doing protein-type testing.
"You need to have very good screening techniques that lead to actual
confirmation hits. There was concern the test kit we employed wasn't leading us
to the best type of results."
Gallagher said there has been one instance during a previous meet at Turfway
Park in which a racehorse tested positive for EPO antibodies. Under current
regulations, the horse was banned from racing for a few months. Gallagher said
the rotating tests are performed on Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and Quarter
Horses that race in the state.
Kentucky and other racing states are struggling with implementation of out-ofcompetition testing, which is required because blood-doping agents are
administered over time, not on race day or the day before a race. There are
questions as to how far regulators can go in testing horses at non-association
training centers; Ontario, Canada, now requires owners and trainers to agree to
random blood tests for horses before they can enter their stock in races.
Gallagher said Kentucky has a list of training facilities at which official workouts
are recorded and reported to Equibase. Those "approved off-stabling sites," he
said, would fall under KHRA jurisdiction.
"That's where this is going with this EPO stuff," Gallagher said. "You have to test
horses between starts, not the day of the race. It seems to me we'd have access
to do barn searches or take blood samples."
Ohio, where the racing commission recently received an addition one-quarter of
1% of handle for drug testing, is implementing EPO testing. Ohio State Racing
Commission chairman Norm Barron said the goal is to achieve confirmation of
the actual proteins in all racing breeds.
"To be honest, (the procedure) is very expensive, but I think it's worth it," he said.
"In Ohio, we have authority at (racetracks), and primarily go on suspicion and
information we hope is reliable. They're playing Russian roulette--if we confirm
something they've done, it's a lifetime suspension."
Ohio also has purchased seven "radiometers"--blood-gas analyzers--that will test
Thoroughbreds for "milkshakes," or high levels of TCO2. (Standardbreds have
been subject to random TCO2 tests.) The commission is in the process of writing
rules for the tests, which would be performed before a race.
If high levels are confirmed, a horse would be scratched. Under the new rules,
Barron said blood will be drawn from every horse and tested in a radiometer.
Kentucky currently employs random TCO2 tests for Thoroughbreds and
Standardbreds, but the testing methodology is different. Thoroughbred blood
samples are sent to the laboratory at Iowa State University for testing several
days later; Standardbred blood samples are tested in a blood-gas analyzer at the
track after they are drawn.
During meetings of the Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council, some members
questioned the difference in testing methods among breeds and debated the
effectiveness of pre- and post-race testing.