California horsemen fear loss of
$1.5 million in purses
Friday, August
19, 2005 - from the California Horse
Racing Board
Sacramento, CA --- At a
meeting of the California Horse Racing Board, the staff
reported that Capitol Racing, the former operator of a
harness meet at Cal-Expo Raceway, has not redistributed to
horsemen, in the form of purses, some $1.5 million, as
previously ordered by the Board in connection with a dispute
over promotional funds.
Board member Richard Shapiro asked the deputy attorney
general to review the matter, and determine the proper
recourse for the Board.
A representative of the California Harness Horsemen’s
Association expressed concern that since Capitol Racing has
ceased operations in California, any eventual determination
that money is owed them could result in horsemen “holding a
fistful of tickets they can’t cash.”
Shapiro, noting the Board still has $2 million in bonds and
letters of credit from Capitol Racing, reassured harness
horsemen that “there is ample security to pay for any
shortfall.”
The Medication Committee also approved for public notice a
proposed regulation to prohibit anyone within the Board’s
jurisdiction from permitting or causing “an animal under his
control or care to suffer any form of cruelty, mistreatment,
neglect, or abuse…” Persons suspected of such conduct are
now prosecuted under a more general rule relating to conduct
detrimental to horseracing. They may also be prosecuted
under criminal statutes, but a specific rule should help the
Baord more effectively deal with anyone involved in cruelty
towards horses.
Dr. Jensen described the committee’s continuing review of
penalties and drug classifications recommended by the Racing
Medication and Test Consortium (RMTC), which can be adapted
to comply with California’s laws and needs.
The RMTC recommended penalties include a minimum one-year
suspension and $10,000 fine for the most serious offenses
involving “stimulant and depressive drugs that have the
highest potential to affect performance and that have no
generally accepted medical use in the racing horse.” Repeat
violations could lead to permanent loss of license.
Fermin provided an update on legislation (AB 52) that will
give the Board authority to conduct testing for total carbon
dioxide levels (TCO2), to fine and suspend violators, as
well as redistribute purses, and take over responsibility
for a successful testing program that the racetracks have
been conducting for the last year in an effort to crack down
on “milkshakes,” or the illegal administration of excess
alkalizing substances in order to enhance the performance of
horses in races.
“The bill passed the Senate floor by a 32-3 vote this
morning, and we hope it will be on the governor’s desk by
the end of next week,” Fermin said.
Chairman Harris took the opportunity to thank the racing
associations and fairs that have participated in the TCO2
testing program, adding “we hope to develop a hybrid program
and still have the tracks involved.”
Fermin said she would meet with racing executives to discuss
continuation of their detention programs. She also said
procedures are being set up to allow owners and trainers to
request that a split sample be taken for TCO2 testing -- at
their own expense -- at the same time the primary sample is
collected. Laboratories in Ohio and Iowa have agreed to do
the split-sample testing.
Shapiro added, “in our continuing enforcement effort, we
should be looking at all medication issues in order to stop
unfair practices by certain trainers.” He said he would be
seeking input from trainers, veterinarians, racing
executives, and others in the effort to “level the playing
field.”
Harris stated that he was concerned that joint injections of
corticosteroids may be overused on horses in training,
particularly shortly in advance of a race, and that the
Board needed to more carefully monitor this issue. Two
trainers who attended the Medication Committee meeting --
Jenine Sahadi and Laura de Seroux -- also expressed concern
about corticosteroids. They believe some trainers routinely
have horses injected after they claim (purchase) a horse --
without knowing whether that horse had been recently
injected by its previous connections.
The Medication Committee strongly urged that a computerized
database be created to record the daily reports being
submitted by racetrack practicing veterinarians, and that
the reports be more closely monitored by the Board than has
been the past practice. Shapiro expressed his intention to
enlist industry support in the creation of such a database
to keep track of corticosteroid treatments and other
critical medical information.
