Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally has been sentenced to a one-year probation over a 2020 positive for Cannabidiol in one of his trainees, reports bloodhorse.com. The California Horse Racing Board officially issued McAnally a 30-day suspension, but those days have been stayed on the condition that his trainees do not have any Class 1, 2, or 3 violations over the period of the probation.
Roses and Candy, winner of the third race at Del Mar on Nov. 22, 2020, was officially disqualified by the CHRB in November of 2021 after testing positive for a metabolite of the Class 1 drug 7-Carboxy-Cannabidiol.
Better known as CBD – and marketed widely for a variety of health benefits to humans – Cannabidiol is found in a number of equine products, including tincture oil, pellets, liniment spray and poultices. While it is believed to work as an anti-inflammatory there is limited research on the possible benefits of CBD in horses and its use remains controversial. Because it is not included in the CHRB's classification list of drugs, it becomes a Class 1/Penalty Class A by default, according to CHRB spokesman Mike Marten.
The Association of Racing Commissioners International lists Cannabidiol as a Class 2/Penalty Category B substance, and the CHRB began the process of changing CBD's classification in early 2021. On Jan. 21, 2021, the CHRB pushed back the proposed rule change to make Cannabidiol a Class 3/Penalty Category B drug to the February meeting, at which point it went out for public comment.
The complaint was not made public until May 17, 2021.
CBD is now listed as a Class 3/Penalty Category B drug, for which first-time violations can result in a fine of no more than $10,000 and a minimum 30-day suspension, absent mitigating circumstances.
According to a report in Daily Racing Form, jockey Geovanni Franco, who rode Roses and Candy to victory Nov. 22, admitted to McAnally assistant Dan Landers that he used a product containing CBD the day of the race. Roses and Candy won the day's third race. Geovanni rode another winner on the same card three hours later that did not test positive.
Read more at bloodhorse.com.
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