I don’t think 15 days combined for two positives qualify as “the hammer” but instead reflects that they think it was accidental contamination but still warranted some punishment nonetheless. The real penalty is the loss of purse and the loss of a stakes win on the stallion resume.
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I agree. The penalty seems more in line with what the FEI imposes when a banned substance is found but was probably not intentionally administered. The rules require the horse to be disqualified, even if poor stable management is to blame. The 15 day suspension is a minor penalty.
Hopefully this will put trainers on notice that they had better improve their management of their employee’s hygiene, especially in the midst of this pandemic.
The buck stops with the trainer. That’s why they get a bigger paycheck than the grooms they employ.
That last part is true for sure but I imagine the person who caused the bad test has to be making 100k at least so not exactly groom money. I am sure he feels horrible though.
I remembered incorrectly that it was a groom. I see now that it was an “employee” that was recovering from a broken pelvis and was the handler that put the tongue ties on both horses. After placing a medication patch on themselves and not washing their hands at all after doing so.
I’m sure they must feel terrible. They should, for ignoring basic hygiene during a pandemic as well as for transferring medication from contaminated hands to the horses. At least with a $100k salary they are more likely to have some savings in the bank than would a groom.
The employee has been Bob’s assistant for decades. He could easily go out on his own and have a barn full of horses in minutes so they compensate him handsomely. He also should know better but none of us are perfect, it happens.
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I’m trying to imagine a scenario where an assistant trainer doesn’t do at least a dozen different things with his hands in between the time he puts a pain patch on himself and then ties a tongue tie. Nope. Can’t really do it.
Add in the fact that the affected horses were in 2 different races that ran 2 1/2 hours apart. (How many patches are we meant to believe he applied??? Just kidding.)
So enough lidocaine to create the overages remained on his hands for say, a minimum of three hours of barn/racing activity–even though the drug was apparently able to rub off easily on things–you know, like tongue ties…
Color me skeptical.
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Yeah, sorry, but even just Occam’s Razor says it’s less likely TWO horse in TWO races got a dose nine times over the limit because of a patch the trainer presumably didn’t put on immediately before putting on the tongue ties than there’s something fishy going on. Also, after the “we swear it was jimsonweed in the hay”, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice…I have heard enough (not just keyboard warriors) to be willing to believe it’s not just a run of freak accidental contamination.
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My point exactly. Did this person apply a medication patch to himself while in a horse’s stall? Not likely. Did they not wash their hands anytime after applying the patch?
It could happen I suppose. If it did, there is no excuse for such sloppy hygiene and disregard (or ignorance) of the medication rules and basic knowledge of the transfer of contaminant drugs from human to horse. If the person is payed 100k yearly he really should know better.
Of course when you have not been penalized for your medication violations in the past, it is not surprising that complacency may be the order of the day in those barns.
I am pleased that Baffert was suspended. I would hate to see nothing done to him, especially considering the scrutiny that racing is now undergoing.
So there is going to be an appeal (of course). What ever happened to “The test was positive, we think it was environmental contamination, but since the trainer is ultimately responsible no matter what the cause, we accept the penalty”? I guess I am just a crazy optimist. 
That being said, testing is now so incredibly sensitive I think the possibility of the lidocaine coming from the pain patch is not beyond impossible. The test unit is in picograms–that is a trillionth of a gram. Wow. :eek:
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Yes, the testing is amazingly sensitive. But that’s why thresholds have been established. In theory, they take into account that sensitivity–so a test isn’t “positive” until it’s above a certain level. (I’m too lazy to look up what that level is for lidocaine, but I know it’s not 1 or even 10 picograms.) And Gamine was 9x the legal limit. That must have been one heck of a pain patch Barnes was wearing.
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I realize that this isn’t a big deal-but Blood Horse put this story, which IS a big deal, not in the usual big story at the top, but down below, where it draws less attention. (Unless I missed it being larger…) That, to me, tells the story of not wanting this guy to be dragged through the mud- whether he deserves it, or not.
They are running it as the cover/lead story on today’s BloodHorseDaily, which is often more up-to-date with current news than the BH website.
https://cdn.bloodhorse.com/daily-app/pdfs/BloodHorseDaily-20200716.pdf
As well they should!!
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The BHDaily story provided the info I didn’t have. The allowable race day level for lidocaine is 20 picograms per milliliter of plasma or serum.
Gamine had 46 and Charlatan had 185.
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[URL=“https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/242346/baffert-suspended-horses-dqd-after-drug-positives”]https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/242346/baffert-suspended-horses-dqd-after-drug-positives
Guidelines for the lidocaine threshold—the permitted level on race day—in Arkansas match the guidance provided by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium: 20 picograms per milliliter in plasma or serum. [URL=“https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/242346/baffert-suspended-horses-dqd-after-drug-positives”]
In the post-race tests, Gamine tested at 185 picograms and Charlatan at 46 picograms. While Gamine was more than nine times above the threshold and Charlatan was more than twice that threshold,
In part would make sense as Gamine raced earlier in the card than Charlatan.
IMO, an experienced trainer, albeit even an assistant, should know about environmental contamination. Being sloppy is no excuse.
Under the Association of Racing Commissioners International’s Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances and Recommended Penalties Model Rule, lidocaine is a Class 2 violation calling for a Class B penalty—both second-highest on the scales. If the regulator determines a violation, the guidelines call for a trainer suspension of at least 15 days and a fine of at least $500.
A drug violation is a drug violation. Time for Mr Baffert to have a CTJ talk with his training staff at all tracks. He’s got some of the best horses in the business and sloppy, sloppy whether inadvertent environmental contamination or something more overt with the patch being the scapegoat, should not be tolerated either by the tracks, owners, bettors.
NB. LaurieB beat me to it 
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cry me a river.
I don’t know what to believe anymore.
As someone who deals with chronic back pain, it’s not unusual for me to be touching/readjusting an analgesic patch. It’s entirely possible the thing was losing stickiness or otherwise bothering the wearer and he was actively or absent-mindedly touching it.
At the same time, I find it impossible to believe such an experienced horseman working in one of the most successful stables in the country would have made such a mistake.
So who knows.
This is part of the reason it’s so darn hard to enforce meaningful regulation. But I don’t have a better answer.
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I am not unsympathetic to back pain and the need for pain management. OTOH, this gentlemen (as I understand it) is an assistant trainer for one of the top, most well known trainers in the business (regardless of what some here may feel about him).
If you are near/around/on anything which is a prohibited substance, get someone else to touch the horse. “Forgetting” is not an excuse I easily buy on the part of the assistant trainer. One should know if one is that experienced and if there is a potential contamination, get someone else to handle the horse. If the number of people allowed to handle the horse is limited then figure out how to make it work so that someone who is both wearing a patch with a prohibited substance and will be putting their hands in a horse’s mouth isn’t the same person.
IMO, the rule is being enforced as is Baffert’s right to appeal (as he should). But I would also hope the appeal is denied. The penalties applied appear to be on the light end of the spectrum and could have been much more severe.
IMO, sorry Bob, suck it up, your assistant made a mistake, own it, address it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
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I am throwing The whole patch thing out as a red herring. If Barnes was doing what the boss ordered, He shouldn’t have to fall on his sword. This is about Baffert.
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It’s just the WHY of lidocaine. It’s a stupid drug to use on a horse if you don’t want to be caught. In what circumstances would a trainer think it beneficial to use lidocaine and risk a positive drug test? Since the amounts were relatively small as far as performance enhancing effects go, what would be the reasoning?
Is there a rule about time frame that horses can receive joint injections before a race? Do you wonder if not reporting them was a possible cause? Lidocaine perhaps used to numb the injection site?
If the horses were meant to have lidocaine to dull soreness before a race, the amount in the horse’s bloodstream would have to have been much higher.
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