The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) published notice of its first two pending cases this week since taking over medication and anti-doping control on May 22.
Both cases are listed as “pending; provisional suspension” and deal with possession of a banned substance in the form of levothyroxine (Thyro-L). One is dated June 2 and concerns trainer Jeffrey Poole, who regularly races at Gulfstream Park. The other is dated June 9 and names veterinarian Dr. Luis Jorge Perez.
Both site HISA Rule 3214(a), which states that “possession of a banned substance or a banned method” constitute anti-doping rule violations. Anti-doping violations that do not involve a positive drug test are subject to public disclosure after imposition of the provisional suspension. The cases do not appear to have been resolved yet, and according to HIWU's website, three outcomes are possible — a final decision, a resolution between HIWU and the covered person, or the withdrawal of the charge by HWU.
The eventual resolution will be published within 20 days of the case being resolved.
Public disclosure rules indicate that no further details about the circumstances of the discovery are likely prior to resolution.
Levothyroxine, commonly known by the trade name Thyro-L, is a synthetic version of the naturally-occurring hormone thyroxine. Thyroxine is produced by the thyroid and works with the brain to control metabolism. While there is no FDA-approved, mass-produced version of the drug for horses in the United States, Thyro-L is commonly prescribed by veterinarians to older horses to correct hypothyroidism — a condition in which the thyroid is underactive and the horse has an unusually slow metabolism.
Hypothyroidism isn't common in horses, and it's not a condition that's found in young, fit horses like the population commonly found at the racetrack.
For years, veterinarians have voiced concerns about the potential risks that may come with artificially boosting the metabolism of a horse who doesn't need it. In humans, hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid) is associated with increased heart rate and blood pressure, and risk of cardiac arrhythmia. As a result, many state racing commissions cracked down on its use, requiring specific diagnostics or notification of a thyroxine prescription to an active racehorse. Some jurisdictions banned its use in racehorses altogether.
Thyroxine overuse in racehorses first gained attention in 2013 when the Board launched an investigation into the sudden deaths of seven horses trained by Bob Baffert between 2011 and 2013. Baffert told investigators at the time that he had all the horses in his care on thyroxine, which was given as orally in a horse's grain in a similar manner as powdered supplements. At that time, trainers would commonly reach for thyroxine as a way to help get weight off horses, particularly if they'd recently returned from a lay-off.
Still, according to a report published in 2020 by the California Horse Racing Board, there were practitioners and trainers willing to ignore frequent warnings about the risks that could come with overuse.
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