STORY ABOUT THE SURPRISE TEST

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

I hope so Bally, if so it means we are going to run a relatively clean Derby and if that Derby is clean it will move certain Trainers up and other Trainers down.

Poly becomes almost acceptable when teamed with clean horses.

Bally Ache Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think you have to assume that the trainers
> involved were at least given a broad hint if not
> an outright statement that this was coming.
> Nobody wants a repeat of 1968.
>
> I used to work for a guy who ,when he walked down
> the hall, would bang his spoon against his coffee
> cup.  He told me once he did this so we would know
> he was coming.  He didn\'t want to catch us doing
> something we weren\'t supposed to be doing.

[Frank]

Jerry,

Just curious. Do you ever worry that some dumb mothertrucking clown might get you in hot water with people in the industry by spewing his bullspit on your board?

Frank

[Blind Switch]

Hear tell Keeneland will begin a \"carbon offset market\" which will run in conjunction with the select yearling sale this September. With each sale, owners will have the option to purchase CO2 emission \"warrants\" for the lifetime of the horse in the rare event they somehow grab purse dollars after being juiced with a bicarbonate feedbag. The carbon offsets will nullify any penalty, suspension or disqualification for exceeding current CO2 limits. \"We\'re all for it and we think it\'s good for racing\", said one group of anonymous, unnamed Kentucky horsemen that asked not to be identified.

[TGJB]

A point that needs making:

Unless the trainers were tipped off WELL in advance, the \"surprise\" test had nothing to do with the outome of the race. EPO is not a raceday or close to the race drug-- it is used over a period of time to build up the supply of red blood cells (as it does with anemic humans, which is what it originally was designed for). Either the horses were never on it, or they were built up on it and pulled off it close to the race, in which case the effects might still remain while the drug itself might be out of their systems. Either way it had no effect.

What is possible is that there was an indirect effect-- the trainers may have been told (or been concerned that) further testing for other drugs might ensue, and acted accordingly.

But all this is beside the point, as I have said before. Right now use of performance enhancing drugs is legal in all jurisdictions-- horses can\'t produce a CO2 reading (the test for alkalizing agents, or \"milkshakes\") above 31 on their own, and in every state the level for a positive is either 37 or 39. This is creating a situation where trainers can--and do-- drug horses legally, every day.

For more on this go to www.attheracesandbeyond.com and listen to the radio show I did with Steve Byk and John Perotta.

Meanwhile, here\'s a piece of news for you. HBO Real Sports is working on a story on drugs in horse racing to air in a month or so. I suspect that had something to do with the \"surprise test\".

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

TGJB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A point that needs making:
>
> Unless the trainers were tipped off WELL in
> advance, the \"surprise\" test had nothing to do
> with the outome of the race. EPO is not a raceday
> or close to the race drug-- it is used over a
> period of time to build up the supply of red blood
> cells (as it does with anemic humans, which is
> what it originally was designed for).

Not just EPO, but darbepoietin as well. (DPO?) Understanding the general principles I\'m not an chemistry expert.

> Either the
> horses were never on it, or they were built up on
> it and pulled off it close to the race, in which
> case the effects might still remain while the drug
> itself might be out of their systems. Either way
> it had no effect.

I don\'t know how continuous the use must be to insure extra red cells are present.

>
> What is possible is that there was an indirect
> effect-- the trainers may have been told (or been
> concerned that) further testing for other drugs
> might ensue, and acted accordingly.

Absolutely


>
> But all this is beside the point, as I have said
> before. Right now use of performance enhancing
> drugs is legal in all jurisdictions-- horses can\'t
> produce a CO2 reading (the test for alkalizing
> agents, or \"milkshakes\") above 31 on their own,
> and in every state the level for a positive is
> either 37 or 39. This is creating a situation
> where trainers can--and do-- drug horses legally,
> every day.

True, but CO2 is in regard to offsetting latic acid. EPO and DPO appear to involve red blood cell packing and there are the other agents that are suspected to be performance enhancing. Testing 3 days out has to be a significant deterrent. Granting that even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then, I may have gotten lucky.

 
> For more on this go to www.attheracesandbeyond.com
> and listen to the radio show I did with Steve Byk
> and John Perotta.

Will listen to the recording.

>
> Meanwhile, here\'s a piece of news for you. HBO
> Real Sports is working on a story on drugs in
> horse racing to air in a month or so. I suspect
> that had something to do with the \"surprise test\"

So Churchill can say they \"surprise test\" during a segment of the HBO special? Hmmmmmm, suppose its possible, still I think Veitch is well intended and testing blood pre Grade I\'s will be Murder on the usual suspects.

[TGJB]

There\'s a LOT of testing that needs to be done-- not just for EPO. In California they recently made it illegal to use Clenbuterol close to a race-- it has therapeutic benefits in training, but extreme benefits as a raceday drug. Don\'t know of any other jurisdictions that have changed their rules (and testing) on that one.

BUT-- buried somewhere in the coverage of the Derby was a story about 24/7 surveillance of the horses. That could have been a factor.

And again, until they change the milkshake rule, they are not serious.