Medina Spirit fails drug test

[Horse_Rider]

First of all, picograms are ridiculously minute amounts that have never to my knowledge been shown to affect a horse. These tests aren’t necessarily developed to pick up actually relevant levels that could change an outcome but just because they can.

This is my last post for the night. I swear.

A 0.01 positive picogram test rarely means the horse had a recent tiny exposure that is to low to affect it. Rather, the most likely case is that betamethasone was used on the horse at a dose to cause some change, and the measurable amount of betamethasone in the horse decreases over time until it eventually reaches zero picograms. Theoretically, in Medina Spirit’s case, the betamethasone administered wasn’t fully metabolized and flushed from the system by the time of testing, so they caught it. Drugs get used illegally every day, but as long as there’s no evidence left of them at the time of testing, you can’t prove anything. There is a reason cops want to test your BAC the moment they pull you over. If you keep them talking for two hours, your 0.10 BAC might fall to 0.06 and then they can’t charge you with a DUI because they can’t prove you were ever a 0.10.

A horse is still affected by betamethasone usage even when the drug is no longer measurable in the system. If that wasn’t the case, we’d have to reinject on such a constant basis that we might as well put ports in.

The problem racing is having is that when you smooth away signs of lameness in these horses, you don’t necessarily fix the underlying issue. In a sport where horse deaths are splashed across the news, hiding a lameness isn’t acceptable. So, yes, regulators require a zero picogram test because they are trying to dissuade the running of horses with an increased risk of messily dying in front of a crowd. I don’t watch horse racing live any more because watching Eight Belles trying to stand on her shattered front legs left me so disturbed and ill I can’t handle it. Racing is desperately trying to control the controllable when it comes to catastrophic breakdowns. Limiting use of anti-inflammatories prior to a race is part of controlling the controllable.

[moonlitoaksranch]

I saw some news articles about that since my post. The fact that since the bets were paid, there’s no recourse…that’s pretty awful. Glad I don’t bet on horse races (or anything, for that matter).

[LaurieB]

@Where_sMyWhite

Yes, but. Overall, if you look at many of the top trainers, do they really not win as often as BB does?

From an article in TDN by T.D.Thornton:

"Later, when asked by a reporter what his fellow trainers thought of the regulatory framework regarding therapeutic medications, Baffert said, “We’re sitting ducks, basically. It just seems odd, that why am I the only one that has the contaminations? Why am I the only one? That just seems odd to me.”

Good point. If the regulatory problem with therapeutic medications is indeed systemic, as Baffert asserts, why aren’t other high-profile trainers collecting the same proportion of drug positives?

Let’s compare Baffert to his peers in terms of elite-level competition. In 2020-21, only five North American trainers each started more graded stakes starters than Baffert. They are Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Mike Maker and Todd Pletcher. Collectively, those five trainers started 8,860 total horses in 2020 and so far through 2021.

According to the Association of Racing Commissioners International rulings database, none of them has triggered a medication positive during the same time frame that Baffert racked up five of them from 449 starters."

[frugalannie]

Thanks @LaurieB. TD Thornton puts it in factual perspective, doesn’t he?

[snaffle1987]

This.

[Bluey]

@LaurieB

From an article in TDN by T.D.Thornton:

"Later, when asked by a reporter what his fellow trainers thought of the regulatory framework regarding therapeutic medications, Baffert said, “We’re sitting ducks, basically. It just seems odd, that why am I the only one that has the contaminations? Why am I the only one? That just seems odd to me.”

Good point. If the regulatory problem with therapeutic medications is indeed systemic, as Baffert asserts, why aren’t other high-profile trainers collecting the same proportion of drug positives?

Let’s compare Baffert to his peers in terms of elite-level competition. In 2020-21, only five North American trainers each started more graded stakes starters than Baffert. They are Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Mike Maker and Todd Pletcher. Collectively, those five trainers started 8,860 total horses in 2020 and so far through 2021.

According to the Association of Racing Commissioners International rulings database, none of them has triggered a medication positive during the same time frame that Baffert racked up five of them from 449 starters."

Well, maybe he did the deed, is playing loose and cutting it too close to the limits when others don’t?

Or, at some time he stepped on some very tender toes that has influence on the testing of those horses and keeps setting him up, several ways that could happen.

Not sure we will ever know, but it is strange that he is the only one getting “caught” with bad tests?

Right out of a Dick Francis novel.

[Tarlo_Farm]

@Horse_Rider

There is a reason cops want to test your BAC the moment they pull you over. If you keep them talking for two hours, your 0.10 BAC might fall to 0.06 and then they can’t charge you with a DUI because they can’t prove you were ever a 0.10.

As an aside, cops are instructed to wait 15 minutes before administering a BAC to allow the last drink people had hit their system. That’s why they diddle around with all the balance stuff before the Breathalyzer. In Michigan, that is followed by a blood draw at the hospital in which case the numbers are usually higher yet due to alcohol hitting the bloodstream. Carry on.

[halo]

This pulled from Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Withdrawal Guidelines dated 4/2020:

12. The following have a 14 day stand down period for intra-articular injection (IA). Any IA
    corticosteroid injection within 14 days is a violation:
     Betamethasone-Intra-articular (IA) at 9 mg total dose in a single articular space;
    NOTE: Withdrawal time should be increased for use of betamethasone products
    with a ratio of >1:1 betamethasone acetate to betamethasone sodium phosphate.
    Intramuscular administration is associated with substantially longer withdrawal
    times.

http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/08-11-20-KY-Medication-Guidelines.pdf

[Bogie]

@LaurieB

Let’s compare Baffert to his peers in terms of elite-level competition. In 2020-21, only five North American trainers each started more graded stakes starters than Baffert. They are Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Mike Maker and Todd Pletcher. Collectively, those five trainers started 8,860 total horses in 2020 and so far through 2021.

According to the Association of Racing Commissioners International rulings database, none of them has triggered a medication positive during the same time frame that Baffert racked up five of them from 449 starters."

According to Equibase, Baffert has a 30% win ratio this year (out of 127 starts) with 64% hitting the boards. In comparison, Asmussen is 21%/50% with 941 starts, Cox is 27%/59% with 357 stsarts, Pletcher is 23/52% also with 357 starts.

https://www.equibase.com/stats/View.cfm?tf=year&tb=trainer

In a sport where a 20% win ration is considered extraordinary, Baffert’s win ratio hasn’t been that low since 2015, when it was 21%.

https://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=People&searchType=T&eID=83&rbt=TB

Those numbers are concerning. Either he’s the best trainer in the world, has unbelievable luck, has attracted the best horses and the best jockeys, someone is out to get him, or there’s something else pumping up those numbers. Given that Gamine was also DQ’d for Betamethasone just last year, I’m shaking my head.

[avjudge]

@Bluey

Except that someone said Baffert insisted horse never had that medication?

Lance Armstrong swore up and down for years that he didn’t dope . . .

[ETA: Just reading the TC 2021 thread, and I see I’m not the only one to whose mind this jumps!]

[Where_sMyWhite]

@LaurieB

According to the Association of Racing Commissioners International rulings database, none of them has triggered a medication positive during the same time frame that Baffert racked up five of them from 449 starters."

This where my thoughts were going (without the numbers). It’s not like BB is sending a significantly larger number of horses to the tracks in big races. Any whining about him getting picked on just doesn’t fly with me; not after five positive tests in the last 12 months. We might not all like the trainers Bogie listed but they aren’t racking up positive drug tests (or at least they’re not getting caught and their win rate says their horses should be getting tested).

@avjudge

Lance Armstrong swore up and down for years that he didn’t dope . . .

True enough. Much of that was before out of competition testing and at the same time many other BNRs were doping (and getting caught). Still don’t agree however, with comparing Lance to BB. Lance was drugging himself and, AFAIK, not that much $$ (don’t know about all countries) had bettors.

Another difference is when Lance was doping, much of the world-level peloton were as well and some riders were getting caught. In racing’s case, BB appears to be the only one getting caught. I would think if all the BNTs were drugging, we’d see more acrosss the board drug positives.

Horse racing is much more dependent on betting than it is on advertising (which is where cycling gets much of its revenue along with TV rights).

Maybe Lance paid for his doping with his cancer. But not many cyclists have died from doping… horses… who knows.

Bob, just stop the practice… let your horses run and win on their own merit without meds exceeding published minimums.

[snaffle1987]

any likelihood that the lack of Lasix use in this years’ derby may have contributed to the bodily systems not “flushing” things from the system as might bank on it if they were using it any other race of the year and testing clean?

There is still potential for cross-contamination and even someone intentionally contaminating samples to take down Bob. Not saying it is definite but there is some oddity that Bob continues to have positive tests over and over again while everyone else is clean. How one would prove that I don’t know.
But then again Bob could be doing such things. wiping it off vet records, and cutting it way to close for comfort on the require withdrawal period that is instituted.

At the end of the day Bob Baffert and his team are responsible for the care of the horses within his barn. He is paid large sums of money to do so and to get those horses to the races meeting the expectations of the ownership. Bob is well aware of the medication rules and requirements and it is up to Bob and his team to ensure they take the proper measures to ensure no such cross-contamination, etc could arise and that proper withdrawal periods are taken. Bob has been around the block for a very long time. For these reasons above; I find myself disgusted in the recent news

How loud do you think the Boo’s will be on Preakness Day when the field walks to the track.

[Mara]

Lab contract terminated prior to Derby, Oaks

Well. Possible fodder for the plaintiffs’ inevitable court case should Medina Spirit be disqualified.

[mommy_peanut]

@Mara

Lab contract terminated; CD used anyway

Well. Possible fodder for the plaintiffs’ inevitable court case should Medina Spirit be disqualified.

I’m unable to find the article with just a quick search, but I believe in one of BB positive tests last year/2020, the lab used wasn’t under a current contract and then outsourced the testing.

Makes one wonder why these contracts wouldn’t be kept current or if changing labs, have it completed before needing to do any testing…

[ravenclaw]

@LaurieB

Let’s compare Baffert to his peers in terms of elite-level competition. In 2020-21, only five North American trainers each started more graded stakes starters than Baffert. They are Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Mike Maker and Todd Pletcher. Collectively, those five trainers started 8,860 total horses in 2020 and so far through 2021.

According to the Association of Racing Commissioners International rulings database, none of them has triggered a medication positive during the same time frame that Baffert racked up five of them from 449 starters."

Those numbers are interesting. Does anyone know approximately how many horses Baffert has in his barn? I think someone on another thread said his barn is large, but not as large as some of the other big-name trainers.

My opinion and gut feeling (as just a nobody fan) is that all the positives can’t be an accident. Which means either someone is setting him up or Baffert is doing it. I’m having a hard time believing that he could be that stupid and arrogant, but maybe he is.

[Joanne]

From the Washington Post just now:

“LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit is headed to Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes while trainer Bob Baffert said Monday that he won’t attend the race to avoid being a distraction in the wake of scrutiny following the colt’s failed postrace drug test.”

[LaurieB]

@snaffle1987

any likelihood that the lack of Lasix use in this years’ derby may have contributed to the bodily systems not “flushing” things from the system as might bank on it if they were using it any other race of the year and testing clean?

It’s not a matter of flushing things from the system (maybe you’re thinking of the extra peeing that Lasix causes?) but rather metabolizing the drugs.

Nevertheless most of the states the Derby horses come from don’t allow 2yos to run on Lasix, and none of the Derby prep races allow Lasix. So if the lack of Lasix is making a difference, all the trainers (including BB) should have had since last year to figure that out.

[Mulligan314]

@Horse_Rider

This is like me saying “I didn’t kill my husband with rat poison! Test his hair!*” That’s not how you test for rat poison/steroids. Hair is great for things like heavy metal poisoning, but as @Ghazzu said, unless there is some brand new test out there, hair testing won’t prove sh** about betamethasone exposure.

I just spent about 20 minutes trying to look this up because I didn’t think it would show up in a hair test, but also wasn’t totally positive because drug tests aren’t my area of expertise …on my work computer. anyone who looks at my history is probably wondering what the heck I do…hahaha.

[Laurierace]

A bit of an aside. My daughter started a leather company during the pandemic. We have had a plan all along to make halters with the name of whoever wins the Derby and have them wear the halters long enough to get authenticated at Pimlico before donating them to charity to be auctioned off. Will be interesting to see how this plays out! Who knows, maybe the halters will be more valuable with all the uproar.

[Ghazzu]

@Mulligan314

I just spent about 20 minutes trying to look this up because I didn’t think it would show up in a hair test, but also wasn’t totally positive because drug tests aren’t my area of expertise

There has been work done wrt identifying drug residues/metabolites in equine hair, but, at least in the paper I read, betamethasone wasn’t even on the list, and this was a pilot study funded, IIRC, by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. So it isn’t even established protocol sofar as I can find.