Claudio Gonzalez, Maryland's leading trainer for the last four years, scratched all six of his runners entered to race on Sunday, July 4, at Pimlico racetrack in Baltimore, Md., after being notified of two positive tests for the corticosteroid dexamethasone.
Gonzalez said he learned of the positive tests on Saturday, July 3. That night, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association issued the following advisory to trainers:
“Horsemen are advised of the following regarding the use of dexamethasone, a commonly used corticosteroid with anti-inflammatory properties.
“Dexamethasone has a 72-HOUR withdrawal guideline for intramuscular and intravenous administration of dexamethasone sodium phosphate or oral administration of dexamethasone. The dosing specification is 0.05 milligrams per kilogram regardless of the route of administration.
“Under the Association of Racing Commissioners International Uniform Classification Guidelines and Recommended Penalties Model Rules, dexamethasone is a Class 4 substance in the Class C penalty category. In Maryland, a first offense carries a minimum fine of $1,000 absent mitigating circumstances for a trainer and disqualification of the horse and loss of purse.”
Gonzalez admitted that the veterinarians he employs were giving the anti-inflammatory at 48 hours, but with a lower dose.
“The recommendation is 72 hours and 22 milligrams,” said Gonzalez. (Note: the .05 milligram per kilogram dosing specification converts to about 22 milligrams for a 1,000-pound horse.) “We go 48 hours and give only 10 (milligrams). We give half at two days. Since 2014, they (the vets) have done the same. They've treated 3,000 horses a year from 2014 and never had one positive in Maryland until now.”
These would be the first medication charges against Gonzalez since he received a warning in 2016 for an overage of the ulcer treatment, omeprazole – the only medication violation on his record at www.thoroughbredrulings.com.
Dexamethasone guidelines in Maryland have not changed recently, according to J. Michael Hopkins, executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission.
What has changed is Maryland's official testing lab. Hopkins said when the contract with Truesdail Laboratories of Irvine, Calif., expired in April 2021, the commission switched to Industrial Laboratories in Wheat Ridge, Colo. No formal announcement or advisory on the change of labs was issued by the commission or Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
“They changed the lab,” said Gonzalez. “It can be a big difference.”
Several states have now dropped Truesdail as their official testing laboratory since a 2015 quality control audit by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission found that seven positive tests were missed over a 26-day period, including two for betamethasone. Indiana switched to Industrial, as did the West Virginia Racing Commission. The Arkansas Racing Commission had its testing shifted to Industrial after Truesdail's accreditation was suspended in April 2020 by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. Truesdail has not sought to re-gain its RMTC accreditation.
Shortly after the switch from Truesdail to Industrial, Hopkins said, an unspecified number of positives for Amicar, an adjunct bleeder medication, were called. The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association then issued the following advisory:
“Effective immediately, horsemen are urged to discontinue the use of any and all adjunct bleeder medications for horses in training, including in particular, aminocaproic acid—commonly called Amicar.
“Amicar and several other adjunct bleeder medications were placed on the Prohibited List in 2013 under the Association of Racing Commissioners International Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances and Recommended Penalties Model Code and the National Uniform Medication Program. Aminocaproic acid, for example is a Class 4 substance and penalty Class C.
“It is important to understand that these medications cannot be regulated by withdrawal time guidance and/or a testing threshold and their use, no matter how far in advance of a race, may trigger a positive post-race test.
“Any trainer who chooses to continue the use of these medications for training in the future will run the risk of a post-race positive test.”
Hopkins said he couldn't comment on any specifics involving the Amicar or dexamethasone positives because of ongoing investigations.
Gonzalez is leading the current Laurel and Pimlico meeting with 27 wins from 110 starts, more than doubling the number of wins by his closest pursuers. Gonzalez said he plans to ask for a split sample to confirm the findings by Industrial and fight the charges if a formal complaint is filed against him.
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