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CHRB Advisory Warns ‘EPO’-Labelled Supplement Contains Caffeine

In an advisory issued to trainers just before Christmas, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) warned that caffeine had been detected in two supplements marketed to performance horses analyzed by the Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab at UC Davis.

“As such, Horsemen are advised to exercise extreme caution when using these products in close proximity to a race,” the advisory states.

Under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), caffeine is a Class B controlled substance, which comes with a possible 15-day suspension and $1,000 fine for a first offense.

The advisory shows pictures of two tubs of substances broadly labelled “EPO-Equine,” each labelled to sell for $525. EPO is the shortened version of Erythropoietin, a type of protein called a growth factor.

EPO stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells, which contain a protein called haemoglobin that carries oxygen around the body. As such, EPO is widely known as a performance enhancing substance.

When asked if EPO had also been detected in the two substances, CHRB equine medical director, Jeff Blea, simply said that “just caffeine” was detected.

The two substances, said Blea, were found during a barn search conducted at Los Alamitos. “It was not related to a caffeine positive,” he said, declining to say whose barn was searched.

“This one I think has been around for a long time,” said Blea, about the “EPO-Equine” product. “The caution is, be careful what you're giving your horses.”

When asked about the suggestive labelling, Blea said that he had called and emailed the company but didn't receive a response.

“It's all about marketing, right?” said Blea. “They're trying to sell a product.”

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Australian Trainer Blames Caffeine Positive On Coffee Spill

Australian trainer Nick Smart has blamed a coffee spill for one of his horses testing positive for caffeine, reports racing.com.

Smart trainee Mr Coyne was found to have the prohibited substance in his system after running second in the Ecycle Solutions BM120 Steeplechase at Ballarat on Aug. 23 last year.

“It was a real mystery to us. When we looked into it, and it sounds silly, but our coffee set-up is right near the feed room,” Smart said. “It was right at the feed door with the coffee and everyone used to make their coffee every day. So I put it down to someone has spilt something in a bucket and it went like that.”

The Victoria Racing Tribunal has not yet set a date for Smart's case.

Trainer Federico Villafranco Suspended Through First 30 Days Of Oaklawn Meet For Caffeine Positives

Trainer Federico Villafranco, among the top 10 conditioners by wins at Oaklawn Park in 2020, will miss the first 30 days of the 2021 season at the Hot Springs oval due to a Dec. 14 ruling published by the Arkansas Racing Commission, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News.

Four of Villafranco's trainees, two winners and two second-place finishers, returned positives for caffeine in their post-race test results on dates from Feb. 1 through Feb. 8, 2020. The four horses — Millwood, D'Rapper, Fayette Warrior, and Council Rules — were all disqualified from their placings with purse monies forfeited.

Villafranco was suspended under the “absolute insurer rule,” with his suspension scheduled to run from Jan. 22 through Feb. 20, 2021.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Villafranco Suspended for Caffeine Positives at Oaklawn

Two winners and two second-place horses who subsequently tested positive for caffeine at Oaklawn Park back in February have been disqualified from their placings and purses, and the trainer of all four, Federico Villafranco, will be suspended for the first 30 days of the Oaklawn Park meet under the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC)’s “absolute insurer” rule.

Caffeine, a stimulant, is listed as a Class 2, Penalty Category B drug on the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI).

For a first-offense Category B penalty, the ARCI recommends a 15-day suspension and minimum $500 fine, with mitigating circumstances raising the penalty to 60 days maximum and $1,000.

TDN emailed John “Smokey” Campbell, the ARC’s executive director, asking for details about the Dec. 14 rulings and an explanation of how the commission determined the 30-day, no-fine penalty. TDN also wanted to know if Villafranco has appealed. This story will be updated if a timely reply is received. The DQ’d winners were Millwood (Lemon Drop Kid) from the second race, an $8,000 claimer, on Feb. 1 and D’Rapper (Cherokee Rap), winner of the fifth race, a $50,000 claimer, on Feb. 8.

The DQ’d runners-up were Fayette Warrior (Exchange Rate) from the fourth race, a $16,000 NW3L claimer, Feb. 2 and Council Rules (Council Member), who was claimed for $8,000 out of the first race Feb. 8.

Danny Caldwell was the owner of all four horses at the time of the violations. He was not penalized by the ARC.

Villafranco’s suspension will run from Jan. 22 through Feb. 20, 2021.

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