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Given 22-Month Suspension From HIWU, Trainer Poole Calls Process A ‘Joke’

When two members of Gulfstream Park's security team and a veterinarian descended on his barn on the morning of June 2, the 62-year-old trainer Jeff Poole didn't think he had anything to worry about. According to the Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Regulatory Rulings website, Poole, who has been training since 1989, had never had a violation of any kind. And his recent record–he had won 11 races combined since 2021–hardly suggested that he was a trainer who was taking an edge.

Even when investigators found in his office a tube of Thyro-L, which is used with horses for the correction of conditions associated with low-circulating thyroid hormone, Poole wasn't that alarmed. He was given a prescription for the medication in September to use on a horse that was subsequently transferred to another trainer a month later. He says he had not used the drug on any horse since. At the time, it was perfectly legal to use the drug if a prescription had been obtained and in the states Poole raced in, Florida and Ohio, it was not illegal to possess the medication.

Then everything changed on May 22 when the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) took over, handling the drug testing at most U.S. racetracks and levying the penalties for those who were found to have violated HIWU rules. Under the new Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) rules, the mere possession of Thyro-L was a serious violation as the drug had been designated a banned substance. Suspensions for banned substances carry suspensions of up to two years.

Jeff Poole was in a lot of trouble.

“I was totally unaware I had (Thyro-L),” he said. “I would have thrown it away. I wasn't even using it and they don't accuse me of using it. All they've accused me of is having it. It is not a performance-enhancing drug. This is a joke.”

Poole got the prescription for use on a horse named King Andres on Sept. 27, 2022 while the horse was training at Thistledown. After that race, he was transferred to the barn of trainer Randy Faulkner. The Thyro-L prescription was written by Dr. Scott Shell. In what may be nothing more than a coincidence, Shell was provisionally suspended by HIWU for being in possession of banned substances, none of which were Thyro-L.

From Thistledown, Poole shipped to Tampa Bay Downs and then to Gulfstream. He said that on each occasion his employees packed up everything that wasn't nailed down in his tack room and office, which included the tube of Thyro-L. While it should have been thrown away, it was simply forgotten and thrown in with the rest of Poole's belongings.

One thing Poole cannot do and has not tried to do is claim ignorance. He admits that on March 15, 2023, while at Tampa Bay Downs, he sat in on a presentation from HIWU Chief of Science Dr. Mary Scollay in which Scollay warned trainers that new rules were about to go into effect and that they needed to get rid of medications that were about to fall into the banned substance category. Thyro-L was specifically mentioned.

“I'm hitting myself over the head,” Poole said. “This is so stupid. I could have gotten rid of the stuff. I just didn't think about it. Too much else on my mind.”

Poole decided to fight, which led to having a hearing before an arbitrator that took place on July 26. That gave him plenty of time to think, beginning with why someone would have inspected his barn in the first place.

“They said someone tipped them off that it was in my office,” Poole said. “As far as I'm concerned, they must have sent a stool pigeon into my place. I never would have let anybody in my office who wasn't a friend. And if a friend saw it and knew what was going on, they would have said 'Jeff, get rid of that stuff. You're not allowed to have it anymore.'”

He's also followed other HIWU cases and claims a pattern is emerging whereby it seems that the majority of those who have been suspended are small-time trainers with limited resources. (Ironically, in his ruling, arbitrator Jeffrey Benz referred to Poole as a “high-level trainer of thoroughbred racehorses.”)

“(HISA CEO) Lisa Lazarus talks about how they're not trying to get rid of the little people but it looks to me like that's exactly what they're trying to do,” Poole said. “They gave me 22 months and I never had a bad drug test on a horse ever. They don't care about destroying a man's life when it's totally unnecessary. Horses are my life.”

Lazarus has had to respond to accusations that HISA is targeting small stables many times. When asked to comment on Poole's accusations she said “The ADMC program is completely unbiased” and referred to a letter to the editor she wrote to the TDN that addressed that issue.

During the first weeks of his suspension, Poole did nothing. He remained convinced that his side of the story would hit home with whomever was to decide his fate and that he would be exonerated. He was, of course, wrong.

“I thought this would all be straightened out,” he said. “I never dreamt they'd do this to me. I sat for months with no income. It got to the point where I couldn't keep doing it. I couldn't make a red cent. There was nothing but money going out.”

Once the arbitrator ruled against him, upheld the 22-month suspension plus a $10,000 fine and ordered Poole to pay $8,000 in arbitration costs, he knew he had to do something. While most trainers who have been provisionally suspended by HIWU have sat on the sidelines, Poole moved his stable to Mountaineer Park. HISA does not have jurisdiction over West Virginia racing. The same goes for Louisiana. So Poole is free to race in both states.

“West Virginia is not my home,” he said. “This is not where I want to be. My home is in Tampa, Florida. Every year I look forward to going home. After Mountaineer closes, my only option is to try to get stalls in Louisiana at the Fair Grounds. That's not a place I ever wanted to go to in my life, but it's either that or welcome to Walmart.”

Poole realizes he made mistakes. He was told by Scollay that Thyro-L was going to become a banned substance and that he needed to get rid of it if he had any in his barn. He ignored her warning. He also understands the trainer responsibility rule. No matter what he might think about the rules regarding Thyro-L, he was in possession of a banned substance and under the trainer responsibility rule he had set himself up for a penalty.

But what he can't understand is why he was suspended 22 months and fined $18,000 for what he considers to be a very minor offense.

“I expected to probably be fined for not discarding it,” he said. “But 22 months? If they think that's fair, that's beyond me. Officials, trainers, owners, everybody is telling me how unfair it was what they did to me. But I didn't see it coming. I don't think I deserve anything more than a possible fine.”

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HIWU Suspends Trainer Jeffrey Poole For 22 Months

After a hearing before an arbitral body, trainer Jeffrey Poole has been hit with a 22-month suspension by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after it was alleged that Poole possessed the banned substance Levothyroxine. He was also fined $10,000 and ordered to make a payment of $8,000 to cover arbitration costs.

Poole did not have a horse test positive for the substance.

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. It can be prescribed to older horses to correct hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid is underactive and the horse has an unusually slow metabolism. However, its use has raised concerns about potential risks that may come with artificially boosting the metabolism of a horse who doesn't need it and its use has been banned in some jurisdictions. Thyroxine overuse in racehorses was in the news in 2013 when the California Horse Racing Board launched an investigation into the sudden deaths of seven horses trained by Bob Baffert. Baffert told investigators at the time that he had horses in his care on thyroxine.

Once Poole was found to be in possession of the substance on June 2, he was provisionally banned by HIWU. His suspension was the first handed down by HIWU since it took over drug testing and the enforcement of penalties and suspensions on May 22. Poole's case is also the first to go through the arbitration process. Cases involving Anti-Doping Rules violations cases are heard by an Arbitral Body known as JAMS. Founded in 1979, JAMS describes itself as “the world's largest private alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider.”

Trainers who have been charged with violations on the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's list of banned substances face suspensions of up to two years. The 22-month suspension is the longest suspension handed out by HISA/HIWU thus far.

According to Equibase, Poole has been training off and on since 1989. He is 50-for-459 during his career and 3-for-41 in 2023. According to the Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Regulatory Ruling's website, Poole has no prior suspensions or fines on his record.

When reached by the TDN Poole declined to comment. At deadline for this story, his attorney Brad Beilly had not returned a hone calling seeking a comment.

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‘Public Trust Will Diminish’: CHRB Equine Medical Director’s License Temporarily Suspended, But He Remains In Post

According to the Los Angeles Times, California Horse Racing Board equine medical director Dr. Jeff Blea has had his veterinary license temporarily suspended after an emergency hearing requested by the state's veterinary medical board. The vet board issued accusation documents (akin to charging documents) against Blea and two other Southern California racetrack veterinarians last month. An emergency hearing was held on the morning of Christmas Eve to determine whether a temporary suspension was appropriate for Blea, and according to the LA Times' John Cherwa, Administrative Law Judge Nana Chin signed the temporary suspension order on Jan. 3.

Chief among the concerns of the veterinary medical board was Blea's ability to remain impartial in his capacity at the CHRB, given the nature of the accusations against him. Blea is accused of violating several components of the state's veterinary practice act by administering medications to racehorses without documentation of complete medical examinations or medical necessity.

“The Board cannot fulfill its mission of protecting equine patients while Respondent Blea continues to be primarily responsible for the enforcement of violations that harm the health and safety of racehorses,” the petition states. “Respondent Blea currently oversees the UC Davis Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory drug-testing program, works with CHRB investigators to investigate potential medication violations, liaises with peers directing programs at UC Davis, including the UC Davis-CHRB necropsy program, and works with Official Veterinarians in their oversight of practicing veterinarians. This gives Respondent Blea control or influence over the drugs administered to racehorses, drug detection, and the investigations of medication violations and racehorse deaths, including the direction of the investigation, the necropsies, and their results. The UC Davis Equine Medical Director has historically held immense authority and influence over the operations and procedures within CHRB on matters related to equine health and welfare.

“The Board alleges that Respondent Blea administered medically unnecessary and non-FDA approved drugs to numerous racehorses. The Board's findings and allegations established that racehorses are administered legal and illegal drugs to enhance performance in racing. Racing is not a medical condition or diagnosis. If Respondent Blea is allowed to continue his role in enforcement and investigations, his involvement alone will raise questions and will compromise the integrity of the drug testing program, the investigations, their findings, and their results due to the unquestionable conflict of interest. Public trust will diminish. Without a trusted drug testing system and without impartial, complete, and accurate investigations, the Board will be prevented from learning the true causes of horse death and injury, from enforcing the Practice Act, and from instituting remedial action or regulations to curb unnecessary deaths of racehorses. Because the protection of the public, especially the health and safety of equine patients, are paramount, the requested interim suspension order is proper.”

Thyroxine was a particular focus in the board's petition for temporary suspension. There is no FDA-approved, mass-manufactured form of thyroxine in the United States for racehorses.

“Veterinarians are prohibited from possessing or using any drug, substance, or medication that has not been approved by the FDA on the premises of a facility under the jurisdiction of CHRB,” the petition read. “As an experienced veterinarian who has treated racehorses for over a decade, Respondent Blea should know and understand this regulation. Yet, on December 15, 2021, Respondent Blea announced that CHRB will begin a strict regulation of thyroxine, a thyroid medication, on January 1, 2022. Thyroxine, as stated above, is not approved by the FDA, can cause cardiac arrhythmias, and squarely falls under the category of drugs prohibited by section 1867. Respondent Blea's approval of prohibited veterinary practices proves that he cannot be trusted to be involved in any medication violation or death investigations.”

The petition specifically cited the ongoing investigation into the sudden death of Medina Spirit as a reason for the veterinary medical board's concern for swift action. It also alleges that in a two-month span, Blea administered medications to 3,225 horses in 67 working days, for an average of 48 horses per day.

“The records show Respondent Blea administered the same drugs for multiple horses with the same trainer consecutively at approximately the same time,” read the petition. “Respondent Blea provided drugs to a large number of horses not based on a documented examination, diagnosis or medical necessity, but instead based on what the trainer requests.”

According to the LA Times though, the CHRB has previously stated it intends to let Blea remain in the job with the belief that state regulation does not require the equine medical director to hold an active veterinary license. Both boards fall under the umbrella of California's Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

Blea's position is expected to be part of a closed session of the CHRB meeting scheduled for Jan. 20. The veterinary medical board will hold a formal hearing the following day to determine whether Blea's license will be suspended on a non-temporary basis. A formal adjudication of the charges against him may take up to a year.

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Thoroughbred Safety Coalition Announces Four New Reforms, Including Ban On Unauthorized 48-Hour Medication, To Platform

Today, members of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition Steering Committee voted unanimously to adopt four new medical and operational reforms to further reduce the use of medication in racing, enhance consistency across racing jurisdictions and promote transparency. These new reforms set the stage for another productive year of advancing meaningful changes to strengthen the culture of safety in thoroughbred racing.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) ushered in a new era for a safer sport when it became law, and the Coalition supports the safety and integrity measures it outlines and the establishment of a central governing authority (the Authority). It is our intention to work alongside the Authority to achieve our shared goal of protecting the wellbeing of our equine athletes and the integrity of the competition to achieve a better sport for all. While industry experts, USADA and leaders outside of the racing industry work to fully implement HISA and establish the Authority in the coming year, the Coalition will continue to advance reforms that align with the programs laid out in the legislation at the state and track level.

To this end, the following reforms have been added to Coalition's platform:

Prohibit intravenous, intramuscular, transmucosal, topical, nasal and oral administration of medications and substances that are not specifically authorized within 48 hours of racing
Impose requirements for the identification and treatment of hypothyroidism in horses

Adopt testing and maintenance standards for racetrack surfaces
Advocate for the adoption of all facility specifications outlined in the RMTC's Test Barn Best Practices for onsite test barns and follow the protocols consistent with the Best Practices for sampling occurring at another location

“Building out our reform platform remains the Coalition's top priority as we continue to advocate for uniform measures that will protect the wellbeing of our horses and the integrity of our sport across state racing jurisdictions,” said Shannon Arvin, President and CEO of Keeneland Association Inc. “Testing, whether it's for racing surface consistency, hypothyroidism or controlled substances, strengthens accountability and ensures an even playing field.”

“HISA marks a significant achievement for our community and will benefit horses, participants and fans alike by implementing uniform anti-doping, medication control and racetrack operation measures. The Safety Coalition's mission directly complements the Authority's efforts and we look forward to working together,” said Drew Fleming, President and CEO of Breeders' Cup Limited.

“The work that goes into ensuring our athletes are racing under the safest and most transparent conditions possible is constant and requires collaboration across the thoroughbred community,” said Martin Panza, Senior Vice President of Racing Operations at the New York Racing Association. “The racetrack surface maintenance and testing protocols are the direct result of such collaboration led by the NTRA and the members of this coalition and will serve as the basis for HISA's racetrack operations program.”

Progress towards these commitments by TSC Steering Committee members can be found on the Coalition's Accountability Tracker.

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