Pletcher BC positive; Hearing pending

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

mepivicaine is regularly used to try to determine where the point of unsoundness. It is hardly a sinister drug unless it was given at high doese close to the race. A few hours after it is given the horse will go back to being unsound. Remember that the testing procedure is strictly a detection device, not a performance enhancement issue.

I'm curious Chuck what if a trainer is using masking agents such as 'lidocaine', is it possible that would that reduce traces of mepivacaine or other drugs. Everyone seems to be so concerned about the dosage, we tend to neglect the drugs that are not detected.

[paisjpq]

Originally Posted by CSC

I'm curious Chuck what if a trainer is using masking agents such as 'lidocaine', is it possible that would that reduce traces of mepivacaine or other drugs. Everyone seems to be so concerned about the dosage, we tend to neglect the drugs that are not detected.

lidocaine is in the same family of drugs and would cause a positive test as well, it wouldn't be used as a masking agent.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

lidocaine is in the same family of drugs and would cause a positive test as well, it wouldn't be used as a masking agent.

Are there other masking agents that you would know of? Is it a possibilty in your opinion? We've heard about it in other sports.

[paisjpq]

Originally Posted by CSC

Are there other masking agents that you would know of? Is it a possibilty in your opinion? We've heard about it in other sports.

probably, but I just barely passed chemistry...I don't know what they are.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by paisjpq

probably, but I just barely passed chemistry...I don't know what they are.

I did too....barely.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by CSC

Are there other masking agents that you would know of? Is it a possibilty in your opinion? We've heard about it in other sports.

The difference in other sports is the allowable levels are far greater than the allowable levels in horses. A masking agent is usually used to just dilute the sample. Not to mention that there is a thousand times more research done on human testing than there is on horses. The recent NFL suspensions were for th presense of masking agents, a diuretic used for weight loss. It is debatable that it would even mask most drugs ested for.

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

The difference in other sports is the allowable levels are far greater than the allowable levels in horses. A masking agent is usually used to just dilute the sample. Not to mention that there is a thousand times more research done on human testing than there is on horses. The recent NFL suspensions were for th presense of masking agents, a diuretic used for weight loss. It is debatable that it would even mask most drugs ested for.

Good point, that's why we are left speculating who the juicers are and aren't. Any heady horseplayer knows who they are, with or without drug positives.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by CSC

I got this information from from the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.

The drug, mepivacaine, is banned on race day in every jurisdiction in the country, a so-called Class 2 drug with a high potential to enhance performance because it can deaden pain in a horse's legs. The concentration found in No End in Sight's postrace tests was powerful - 750 times higher than another recent positive for mepivacaine - and resulted in a six-month suspension for Steve Asmussen, one of the country's most prolific and successful trainers and runner-up the last two years in voting for the Eclipse Award as top trainer.

Great example. Let's compare Asmussen's positive for mepivicaine to Pletchers. Asmussens' has to be (based upon the above info) at least 750 nanograms per ml, but probably a bit higher. But we'll give him the minimum it could be as 750 ng/ml.

Asmussen: 750 ng/ml or higher
Pletcher: 1.6 ng/ml

The allowable level of mepivicaine in California (yes, there are allowable levels that can be found post-raceday test, and they follow what the RMTC wants) is up to 10 nanograms per ml

So again, let's look at who the "horse dopers with mepivicaine" are:

Asmussen horse: 750 ng/ml or higher
Pletcher horse: 1.6 ng/ml
Allowable level in CA and RMTC: 10 ng/ml

No way will I call Pletcher a "horse doper" with mepivicaine based upon the above facts.

As to what the trainers have to deal with - the inconsistency - until the RMTC standards are adopted nationally, look at the following examples:

Mepivicaine allowable dose may be given:
CA: 50 milligrams subcutaneously 96 hours ( 4 days) before post time
FL: 200 milligrams subcutaneously 168 hours (7 days) before post time
MD: no specified dose or route, withdrawal 5 to 7 days
KY: no specified dose or route, withdrawal 96 hours (4 days)

Am I gonna jump on a trainer for a mepivicaine positive of 1.6 ng/ml, when the RMTC allows up to 10 ng/ml to be found race day? No.

Do I think differently of Pletcher's mepivicaine positive, compared to Asmussens? Absolutely.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by CSC

I'm curious Chuck what if a trainer is using masking agents such as 'lidocaine', is it possible that would that reduce traces of mepivacaine or other drugs. Everyone seems to be so concerned about the dosage, we tend to neglect the drugs that are not detected.

Masking agents are useless when you are testing at the nanogram and picogram levels. Not that lidocaine would be considered a masking agent. I have said a million times that 95% of the time the drugs that you hear about are not the real problem, it is the ones that there is no testing for or even an awareness level by the authorities for.