For the first time, HIWU alleges a controlled substance violation

Horseracing’s Welfare and Integrity Unit — launched May 22 to oversee anti-doping and drug policies in the sport as an independent entity contracted by the National Security Agency. Horseracing’s safety and integrity — continues to break new ground when it posts a public disclosure on June 23 that records the first allegation of a controlled substance violation.

In a public disclosure that HIWU lists coach Sandino R. Hernandez Jr. pending, HIWU alleges that Jonas .’s Dream after the May 25 victory at Gulfstream Park tested positive for the presence of the controlled drug naproxen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sold under the brand names Aleve, Naprosyn, and Anaprox. Naproxen is a Class C (low concern) controlled substance, a first-time violation will result in a fine of up to $500 and disqualification of the horse if found in a post-race sample.

Racing for Amaty Racing Stables, Jonas’ Dream won a half-marathon May 25 in the first special weight class race on the Gulfstream dirt track to earn $25,800 for his owner. .

Initially, there was some confusion about the date of the breach because HIWU first listed “June 7”, but following a question from BloodHorse, it updated the date of the breach to May 25 and apologized for any inconvenience. any confusion.

Contacted by phone on Friday, Hernandez said he has not been notified of the allegation.

Controlled pharmaceutical substances are permitted for use on or on covered horses except in the vicinity of a race or training as listed by a veterinarian. They are prohibited from being present in samples collected after those events, although a few have limited screening. In the interstate system, these drugs are often referred to as therapeutics, because they are authorized but regulated for use near race day.

This is the fourth public disclosure of HIWU’s allegation but the first involving a controlled substance. The first three public disclosures involved banned substances, which were never authorized for use on horses.

In general, banned substances are of more concern than controlled substances. Prohibited substances are those that have been shown to enhance the performance of covered horses, have an adverse effect on the welfare of horses, or have masking properties. Substances that are not currently approved by any government regulatory agency for veterinary or human use, or are not generally recognized by veterinary authorities for veterinary use, are also considered prohibited substances.

Out of greater concern, charges related to prohibited substances will be temporarily (immediately) suspended. Because Jonas’s Dream discovery was due to a controlled substance, coach Hernandez was not suspended temporarily.

HISA/HIWU rules state that if an insured horse is disqualified for violating Anti-Doping and Drug Control rules, all wallets and prizes will be forfeited and will be redistributed to the participants. join another race accordingly. Where possible, wallets for the insured horse that is the subject of the alleged violation will be withheld until resolution is reached.

The HISA/HIWU rules note that any adjustment to disqualified horse eligibility will occur only after the violation has been resolved. In other words, until the violation is resolved, the winner remains the winner of the race and the runner-up remains the runner-up for the purposes of the horse’s conditions to qualify for the race. other. If the final decision calls for the winner of the race to be disqualified, the disqualified horse will no longer be considered the winner (and in maiden races, will remain a girl); and the runner-up will be deemed the winner for future qualifying purposes.

Based on those rules, it seems likely that if Jonas’ Dream is disqualified, he will again qualify for the race in maiden conditions. A DQ of Jonas’ Dream Will See Teresa and David Palmer’s Red Sedona runner-up in the first race on May 25 at Gulfstream, won and still qualified for the race in first condition.