Trainer George Weaver was informed by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit that his runner Anna’s wish tested positive for metformin after finishing third in the March 16 Cicada Stakes at Water racetrack. The pending violation was posted April 11 on the HIWU website.
HIWU’s public disclosure is the first step in the legal process. Weaver will not be temporarily suspended and can continue training until a split or B sample on Anna’s Wish can confirm the presence of metformin in the horse’s urine.
Over the past three years, there have been several cases of horses testing positive for metformin post-race. While some cases have been overturned and resolved, Jonathan Wong was one of the more high-profile coaches to receive the maximum penalty for metformin when it was found on one of his runners. that. Wong received a two-year ban and had to pay a $25,000 fine and $8,000 in arbitration costs after challenging HIWU’s ruling in court.
MITCHELL: Wong was suspended for two years, fined $25,000
Metformin is a medicine used to control high blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. This medicine has been deemed a Class 2/Class B Penalty by the International Association of Racing Commissioners since 2018. According to a study conducted by Dr. Bryan Waldridge, metformin may be useful in treating metabolic syndrome in horses. Waldridge writes that “study results show that metformin use significantly reduces intestinal glucose absorption and corresponding insulin response.”
According to the Jockey Club, Weaver’s most recent active bout was in 2017 at Tampa Downs Bay when his Reason to Soar trainee failed a post-race drug test Promazine sulfoxide. Weaver was fined $300 for the violation.
