ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Horse owners who have any designs on racing their thoroughbreds or quarter horses at any of the tracks in New Mexico this season will have to steer clear of clenbuterol long before race day.
The New Mexico Racing Commission voted Thursday to suspend for 12 months the use of the substance for both breeds, a move that some in the horse racing industry see as a step toward ensuring a level playing field.
“This is a great step forward for racing in New Mexico and throughout the United States,” said Shaun Hubbard, general manager of Ruidoso Downs, home to quarter horse racing’s largest event, The All American Futurity.
“This is a big step to enhance the integrity of racing and is, simply, doing what is best for the horse,” Hubbard said in a statement issued Friday.
The suspension will take effect April 20, the first day of racing at SunRay Park and Casino in Farmington.
Colorado and Wyoming already have zero tolerance policies for clenbuterol’s use in quarter horse racing, according to the Texas-based American Quarter Horse Association. California and Indiana have lowered their thresholds for the substance, and regulators in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana are considering similar measures to crack down on its use in races.
Horse trainers said Friday the commission’s move to include thoroughbreds in the suspension marks a first among states.
Legal only in low doses, the medication allows horses to breathe easier while exercising.
The suspension stems from concerns about a non-approved version of the drug being overused in an effort to improve performance.
Trey Buck, executive director of racing at the American Quarter Horse Association, said having New Mexico on board is a big step given the state’s importance in quarter horse racing.
“We’re definitely going to keep pushing it,” he said. “There’s debate on the national level if this is as big of a problem in thoroughbreds. Just from the outcry from our horsemen and the race tracks and the racing secretaries we deal with, we knew it was a problem in quarter horse racing.”
Clenbuterol’s use picked up as a means to help horses build muscle after the industry did away with anabolic steroids in 2008. High doses can have adverse effects and even cause death.
While horsemen see a benefit to using the version of the medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration in recommended doses, Buck said the association kept hearing from veterinarians, horsemen and lab directors about an illegal version that kept turning up in samples.
Dick Cappellucci, a third-generation trainer from southern New Mexico, said he doesn’t doubt that some horsemen have misused the medication. With the suspension, he said the playing field will be leveled.
“It’s going to make a difference when it comes to training. But as horsemen and trainers, we will adjust,” he said.
Jack McGrail, executive director of the New Mexico Horsemen’s Association, said not everyone was in agreement with the suspension and the inclusion of thoroughbreds. However, he said the association supports initiatives that benefit the sport and the animals’ health.
“The challenge is more around how we solve the problem of overuse of the substance,” McGrail said.
Thousands of races are held each season in New Mexico, where tracks operate anywhere from 42 days to more than two months. Blood and urine samples are taken from the winner and a randomly chosen horse from each race to ensure the state’s doping rules are being followed.
Cappellucci said his concern is that New Mexico’s suspension might cause horsemen from out of state to think twice about participating in stakes races if they can’t wean their horses off acceptable doses in time to meet the commission’s mandate.
Purse money can be substantial, especially for The All American and Sunland Park’s Derby, he said.
“I hope it doesn’t affect something that has been very good for Sunland Park,” he said. “On Derby Day, it’s such a good experience. It’s how racing should be. The whole forecourt is just completely filled with people. The atmosphere, the electricity—it makes you proud to be in racing on those days.”
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