Rick Dutrow, trainer of the 2008 Kentucky Derby winner that tested positive for a breathing stimulant in May 2008 after a race at the Churchill Downs has been suspended for a period of 30 days.

The suspension was for a period starting from 15th November to 15th December 2009 and was imposed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

From Timesunion.com:

Rick Dutrow’s horse, Salute the Count, tested positive for a breathing stimulant in May 2008 after another race at Churchill Downs. He was first suspended in July but appealed, leading to Tuesday’s settlement.

The suspension runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15 as part of the settlement. Dutrow will not have to pay the commission’s legal fees.

Dutrow admitted that his horse, Salute the Count, had the then-legal steroid Stanozolol in his bloodstream during his 2008 Derby and Preakness victories.

It is important to note here that many states in the United States, including Kentucky, have banned Stanozolol and other anabolic steroids ever since this incident was first reported.

Tags: anabolic steroids, breathing stimulant, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Rick Dutrow

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Kentucky Derby’s beloved I Want Revenge sustained a bad ankle on April 7. On April 10, the colt’s right front fetlock was X-rayed, and on April 14, an ultrasound was conducted on it, according to testimony and veterinarian bills. The next day, I Want Revenge was injected in his right front digital sheath with hyaluronic acid and Vetalog, a corticosteroid.

However, according to his owner, David Lanzman, the trauma was only observed for the first time on the day of the derby.

On two occasions, veterinarians have testified, I Want Revenge’s ankle was injected with what amounted to new transmission fluid. The second time was just four days before the Derby and was done at the request of his trainer, Jeff Mullins. Irrespective of the consequence of the , the treatments are a striking illustration of how the use, and overuse, of legal medications have placed America’s thoroughbred population at ever greater chance of injury.

There is a developing concern inside the veterinary community that overmedication — with drugs like corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory that can have severe consequences — and inattentive supervision are part of the reason the United States has the world’s worst fatality rate for purebreds.

From  New York Times:

Five months after the Kentucky Derby favorite I Want Revenge was scratched the morning of the race with a bad ankle, his owners are embroiled in a lawsuit that has exposed the fault lines of administering legal drugs to America’s thoroughbreds.

Tags: corticosteroid, horse, I Want Revenge, Kentucky Derby, Vetalog

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The trainer of the 2008 Kentucky Derby winner will be serving a 30-day suspension after reaching an amicable settlement with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

It is noteworthy to note here that Salute the Count, horse of Rick Dutrow, was tested positive for a breathing stimulant in May 2008 after a race at the Churchill Downs. It then led to suspension in the month of July but an appeal was made to restrain the order, leading to this Tuesday’s settlement. The suspension runs from 15th November to 15th December 2009 as per the settlement norms.

From Timesunion.com:

Rick Dutrow’s horse, Salute the Count, tested positive for a breathing stimulant in May 2008 after another race at Churchill Downs. He was first suspended in July but appealed, leading to Tuesday’s settlement.

The suspension runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15 as part of the settlement. Dutrow will not have to pay the commission’s legal fees.

The trainer of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner, Dutrow, acknowledged the fact some times ago that Big Brown (his horse) had the then-legal steroid Stanozolol in his bloodstream during his 2008 Derby and Preakness victories. It is worth nothing here that Kentucky and many other states have banned Stanozolol and other anabolic steroids since then.

Dutrow will, however, not be required to pay the legal fees of the commission.

This news about suspension once again highlight and reaffirm the fact that steroids and sports share a very close relationships, despite stringent measures being formulated and deployed by the government and drug officials.

Tags: anabolic steroids, breathing stimulant, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Rick Dutrow

Posted in buy steroids, Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Sports

The filly Eight Belles was remembered at the Kentucky Derby through a race called The Eight Belles Stakes.

The death of Eight Belles has created awareness on harsh treatment and practices done by horse trainers to assure winning. The three year old filly came second to the Kentucky Derby winner, Big Brown. The death of Eight Belles and the winning of Big Brown both initiated issues on steroids.

From Examiner.com:

In their coverage of the Kentucky Derby, ESPN, spoke of last year’s tragedy of filly Eight Belles, who broke her two front ankles at the conclusion of the race. Eight Belles ran a valiant race and came in second.

Eight Belles was a three year old filly who came in a valiant second place behind Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. The brave filly went out a champion, but spotlighted concerns on safety and humane treatment of race horses.

The incident brought the issue of steroids in horse racing to the forefront. The 2009 Kentucky Derby has been declared the first steroid free Derby in modern times.

According to an article on Sports Illustrated CNN, Safety changes follow Eight Belles’ Derby death, horse racing is a sport that loses three athletes a day. The death of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and the death of Eight Belles last May on the track of Churchill Downs have sparked an array of safely initiatives. Changes in place for the 2009 Derby include padded starting gates, less painful riding crops, a ban on a type of cleated shoe and laws against anabolic steroid use.

When the Eight Belles died, various speculations regarding the cause of its death made headlines. During the investigation, there was no direct link between the death of the filly and steroids. Big Brown, however, was found positive on Winstrol since its trainer recently admitted.

Tags: Eight Belles, Kentucky Derby, steroids

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Big Brown, winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby, became popular not just by winning first in the race but also because of steroid issue. Recently, Rick Dutrow Jr., told the media that he did give Big Brown Winstrol every 15th of the month.

Winstrol used to be legal in Kentcucky Derby, but due to the outburst brought by the incident, the use of anabolic steroids was banned. No horse will be allowed to join in the race in Triple Crown series with the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.

From Daily News:

The steroid ban went into effect on Jan. 1 in almost every racing jurisdiction and had already been adopted by California for last year’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in October.

In October, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association created the Safety and Integrity Alliance, calling for reforms that include the adoption of uniform medication rules and penalties, the ban of steroids, out-of-competition testing for blood and gene doping agents, pre- and post-race veterinary examinations, mandatory on-track injury reporting, enhanced backstretch security and having each track support and maintain an association with qualified retraining and adoption programs for thoroughbreds no longer competing.

The issues on Big Brown and the death of Eight Belles brought awareness on some unfair practices and procedures done on horses. Aside from steroid ban, other changes were made including the banning of toe grabs placed under the horses’ shoes while racing or training. However, investigations on the cause of death of the Belles revealed that no steroid residues were found in the bodies.

Three trainers, Larry Jones, Rick Dutrow Jr. and Michael Matz agreed on the changes done because they all want is the best for their horses. They believe that there should have national body to employ rules on everything on the sport including licensing and medication.

Tags: anabolic steroids, Kentucky Derby, steroid, winstrol

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Use of anabolic steroids in thoroughbred racing might be outlawed by January next year. This is likely if the recommendation of a safety panel pushed through. The panel was established by the North America’s Thoroughbred registry, The Jockey Club.

“Hopefully, we can say this is the last year horses were racing on steroids,” said Stuart S. Janney III, chairman of the committee.

Aside from a sweeping ban of the use of anabolic steroids, other recommendations made by the panel are banning of toe-grabs and prohibiting jockeys from striking horses with a riding crop with an arm raised above shoulder height. Toe-grabs are horseshoes known to cause injuries in horses.

The three safety proposals are being endorsed by several stakeholders in the sport.

“Anabolic steroids have no valid purpose in the training and racing of the equine athlete,” said Bill Casner, chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Alex Waldrop, president of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and Bill Farish, chairman of Breeders’ Cup Ltd., also issued statements endorsing the panel’s recommendations.

It is also expected that Congress might take action in said issue. A House Energy subcommittee is due to hear testimony from key players in the industry about anabolic steroids as well as other safety concerns.

Anabolic steroids aid in fast recovery of horses from injury. They are also known to stimulate appetite, weight gain, hair/coat growth, among others. The two most commonly used anabolic steroids in thoroughbred racing are Equipoise (boldenone) and Winstrol (stanozolol). These two steroids reportedly increase protein synthesis, a process necessary for ideal tissue building to occur.

Currently, anabolic steroids use on horses is still considered a legal practice in three states where the Triple Crown is held – Kentucky, Maryland, and New York.

Rick Dutrow, the trainer of Big Brown, has openly admitted that his horses are administered with stanozolol every month. Big Brown is the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes this year.

Tags: anabolic steroids, Big Brown, Eight Belles, equipoise, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Triple Crown, winstrol

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The recent testimony of Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg at a Congressional hearing drove home the point that it is very difficult to determine if equine athletes are on anabolic steroids.

In humans, the tell-tale signs are more obvious – acne breakout, incredible physique on both in male and female users, hair thinning on males, hair growth on females, plus an enhanced performance in the playing field. Most of these physical indications of steroid use do not apply to horses.

In said hearing, Van Berg compared horse training to “chemical warfare” and that there is dearth of scientific proof that would suggest that anabolic steroids make better, stronger, and faster horses.

Dr. Scot Waterman, executive director of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, seemed to agree with the trainer. “It’s an impossible question for us to even answer. A .01 (percent) change in performance would alter the outcome of a 1-mile race 50 percent of the time. That is an impossible change to measure with scientific study,” Waterman said.

However, the issue gets more contentious as anecdotal evidence suggests that anabolic steroids could act as performance boosters.

Rick Dutrow openly admitted that all of his horses are administered with anabolic steroid Winstrol (stanozolol) every month. This drug is not banned in three states where the Triple Crown is held. Dutrow is the trainer of Big Brown, who recently won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness races of the Triple Crown.

Big Brown performed poorly in the Belmont Stakes and some speculated that the reason was because Dutrow did not administer the horse with steroids in the 5-week interval between the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes.

“Everybody is trying to figure out why Big Brown didn’t run,” said Dr. Don Catlin, president of the Anti-Doping Research Institute. “I don’t know why. But I do know if I’m on steroids and if you stop them a couple of weeks ago, I’m going through withdrawal and I’m not going to feel like running. But you can’t test for that.”

Tags: anabolic steroids, Big Brown, Eight Belles, equine athletes, Jack Van Berg, Kentucky Derby, Rich Dutrow, Triple Crown, winstrol

Posted in Steroids and Anabolic Steroids

News of steroids use in Major League as well as in the athletic field has been recently landing on front pages of news sources. This hot topic is also bleeding over into the horse racing sports and industry.

With the recent appointment of DVM Mary Scollay as Kentucky’s first equine medical director, the use of anabolic steroids on equines may be facing stricter regulations. Her appointment came in the aftermath of the tragic end of Eight Belles, a filly who finished second in the recent Kentucky Derby held on May 3. Eight Belles has suffered injury only a quarter of a mile past the finish line and has to be euthanized several minutes later.

Anabolic steroids are widely used in the industry for bulking up young horses in sales. In race horsing, these compounds are known to enhance appearance and performance of show horses and racehorses. Use of anabolic steroids on horses is legal in the United States except for the state of Iowa. However, because of recent negative events in race tracks across the country, such practice may end soon.

There have been much publicized criticisms that say animals are exploited through the use of anabolic steroids to boost stamina and power. The Congress, for one, has questioned the practice of injecting racehorses with steroids to keep them on their feet during the weeks before high-stakes races. Also, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and other similar groups have proposed a ban on steroid use in the month prior a race to give horses time to get the drugs out of their systems. If this proposal is pushed through, it would be in effect December this year.

However, at the other side of the fence, are opponents of a blanket ban on steroids use. Steroids, they say, are necessary to aid in horses’ recovery from different conditions, which include abdominal and respiratory illnesses, and physical injuries. Further, they say there is no evidence that this group of drugs make horses run faster.

Tags: anabolic steroids, Eight Belles, horses, Kentucky Derby, Mary Scollay, National Thoroughbred Racing Association

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The tragic end of champion filly Eight Belles recently has heightened the public awareness on the use of anabolic steroids on horses. It has also put pressure on horse race horsing authorities across the United States to curb this practice.

The recent hiring of Dr. Mary Scollay as Kentucky’s first equine medical director might be the response to that growing pressure. According to a release announcing the appointment, Scollay will “serve as a consultant on equine medication and health issues and make recommendations on strategies to enhance equine safety and to prevent illicit activities.”

Scollay’s duties include recommending how to prevent illicit activities in horse medication and implementing stricter review procedures for horse autopsies. Further, the Florida veterinarian ‘will help advise whether – and how – the state should impose steroid tests,’ according to Sports Illustrated article. Her appointment was announced on May 19 during a meeting of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (KHRA).

Scollay is a 13-year senior veterinarian at Calder Race Course and Gulfstream Park. She has been at the forefront in the national investigation concerning race horses’ welfare. She will begin her duties on July under a contract between KHRA and the University of Kentucky Research Foundation.

The incident of Eight Belles occurred at the 134th Kentucky Derby held at Churchill Downs on May 3. In said event, Eight Belles has finished second to Big Brown but has to be euthanized after she collapsed with two broken front ankles. The filly was euthanized on the track several minutes later.

The autopsy report on Eight Belles, however, showed she was negative for steroids. Same report said that she had no diseases or pre-existing bone abnormalities before her breakdown. The other 19 horses in the Derby were also tested for improper medication levels and the results came back negative.

Anabolic steroids are used on horses primarily to speed up recovery of horses suffering from illnesses, injury, or extreme stress. Anabolic steroids promote erythropoiesis (red blood cell production), protein synthesis as well as healthy appetite on horses.

Also, it seems the trainers decided to buy steroids from down south in Mexico! causing the initial investigation into steroid use.

Tags: anabolic steroids, Dr. Mary Scollay, Eight Belles, equine medical directors, Kentucky Derby, steroid tests

Posted in steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids