Dutrow Jones Asmussen Barns Scrutinized
Three Top Trainers Given Suspensions for Horses' Drug Positive Tests
Jul 13, 2008
Although three top Thoroughbred trainers are fighting accusations of horse doping in their barns, none of the three, Richard Dutrow, Jr., Larry Jones, and Steve Asmussen have been personally charged, nor have the leading racehorses under their care this season tested positive for drugs.
- Richard Dutrow, Jr., trainer of Big Brown, winner of the 2008 Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes
- Larry Jones, trainer of Eight Belles, placed in this year's Kentucky Derby, and Proud Spell, winner of the 2008 Kentucky Oaks, respectively
- Steve Asmussen, trainer of 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin, winner of the 2008 Dubai World Cup Classic and the Stephen Foster Handicap
The above four horses have never tested positive for an illegal drug.
Salute the Count Tests Positive in Kentucky
Ddutrow's barn in Kentucky was scrutinized for drugs after Salute the Count tested positive for a bronchodilator, clenbuterol, with double the accepted amount of the drug present in his system.
Dutrow has called the overdose a "mistake" on someone's part and has taken full responsibility for the incident. Salute the Count's owner, Michael Dubb, had no negative reaction to the finding. "... (Dutrow) cares for his horses immensely," Dubb said in a report to the Thoroughbred Times in June.
Salute the Count finished second in the May 2 Aegon Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.
Stones River Has High Clenbuterol in Delaware
Two Bucks Stable owner Jim Squires referred to a doping charge against his trainer, Larry Jones, as "highly suspicious". Jones kept silent because he was waiting for a split sample of the clenbuterol test to be forwarded to a second laboratory.
"That a Two Bucks Stable horse in his (Jones') care has become the first drug positive of his career in the highly charged atmosphere during the week of a congressional investigation focusing on drugs and safety in horse racing is highly suspicious," Squires stated. His comments appeared in the June 28, 2008 issue (No.26) of The Blood-Horse magazine in an article titled "Owner Says Delaware Positive for Clenbuterol 'Reeks' of Sabotage".
Stones River won an allowance race June 8 at Delaware when the post-race test revealed the high level of clenbuterol. Squires claimed any dose of clenbuterol would have cleared the horse's system prior to the race because the track has a 72-hour pre-race clearance rule.
Timber Trick Tests Positive for Lidocaine
Racing at Lone Star Park in Texas, Timber Trick, trained by Steve Asmussen, tested positive for the local anesthetic Class 2 drug lidocaine. The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium claimed the drug has performance enhancing capability. Texas has a ban rule on race day for lidocaine.
Timber Trick tested positive June 6 following a second place finish at Lone Star. The filly is owned by Gainesway Stable.
An Arllington, Texas native, Asmussen also called for split sample testing. He just finished drug positive violation suspensions at the turn of the year for mepivacaine at Evangeline Downs, Louisiana, and acepromazine at Sunland Park, New Mexico.
