OPEN WIDE —
Mountain Range, who won last month at the Saratoga Race
Course, is verified by the tattoo on his upper lip by PEF
member John Jones. Each horse that comes in the money
undergoes identity and drug testing. —
Drug tests,
exams, level the playing field
PEF vets keep wagering safe bet at NY’s racetracks
Story and photos by DEBORAH A. MILES
Rounding the far turn of the Saratoga Race Course, Bijou
comes from behind, takes the lead and crosses the finish
line.
In the winner’s circle, jockey Pat Day poses with
Bijou — 1,000 pounds of sweating muscle from running
one and one-eighth miles at 40 miles per hour.
After the race and traditional photos, another important
part of the day is about to begin for this 3-year-old
filly. It’s the part that ensures the races
aren’t “fixed.”
PEF members from the NYS Racing and Wagering Board are
waiting for Bijou at the drug-testing barn in a remote
area of the backstretch. On average, they test 28-30
horses a day.
“Drug testing is a vital part of the sport. Ninety
percent of the people in the grandstand aren’t aware
of what goes on back here,” said PEF member Dr.
Payson Brett, the supervising racing veterinarian.
“It’s a different life.”
Security always
tight
After each race, the top three or four finishers and any
horse that a track steward may call are taken to the test
barn. In claiming races, all the horses are tested.
“Security is very tight,” Brett said. “It
has nothing to do with the events of September 11.
Everything has always been kept under lock and key.”
At the testing barn, guards keep a log of when the horses
arrive and depart. They are walked around a stall area.
It’s called the cooling-off period and occasionally
they stop to take a drink of water from the buckets
attached to the railings. Then the drug testing begins.
First, urine samples are collected and stored in
contamination-free containers. Then, Brett takes a
blood sample by inserting a needle and vacuum tube into
the right side of the horse’s neck. It is all done
with precision, speed and confidentiality.
No switching
allowed
“The samples collected are tagged, bar coded for
anonymity, and sent to Cornell University for
testing,” said PEF member John Jones, assistant to
the supervising racing veterinarian.
“The samples are sealed and witnessed in the
presence of the horse’s owner or representative, and
stored in a locked refrigerator until they are shipped to
Cornell for analysis, always within four days of the
race,” he said.
Jones keeps meticulous records of the samples. He also
identifies and verifies each horse by checking the tattoo
inside the horse’s upper lip — an
identification number registered to each Thoroughbred,
which is usually done when they are yearlings or
2-year-olds. “All this keeps an even playing
field,” Brett said. “The results come back in
about two weeks. In general, the samples are tested for
any performance-enhancing drugs or to see if anything was
administered that might slow a horse down.”
If there is a positive finding, the trainer or owner face
fines of at least $1,000 and a seven-to-10 day suspension
of their racing privileges.
“The majority of the time, the tests come out clean.
But a few times during a meet, a horse does test
positive. It doesn’t affect the bettors,” said
Brett. And, if a horse tests positive after a morning
workout, Brett is the one who requalifies the horse. He
also may excuse a horse in the afternoon for lameness.
“When a case does go to a hearing, this is where the
evidence starts,” Jones added. “Our records
have never been challenged.”
Testing keeps racing healthy
Brett and Jones also test for drugs at Belmont Park and
Aqueduct racetracks. The procedures the vets use are
followed at all New York state tracks.
“What we do is really one part of a team effort to
maintain the integrity in racing,” Brett said.
“That team encompasses everyone — the people
who work in the backstretch, management, patrons. And, of
course, we’re concerned with the well-being of the
horses.”
Thanks in part to Brett and Jones, thousands of
horse-racing fans from throughout the country who flock
to New York tracks can place their bets with confidence.
|
The Communicator
September 2002
The Official Online Edition of
The New York State Public Employees
Federation
Inside This
Issue:
Features
PEF backs Pataki re-election
bid
PEF Board votes to back
candidates in ’02 races
PEF joins fight against
soaring Rx costs
Early retirement windows
opening
Q&A on 25/55, ERI
9/11; One Year Later:
‘Everything is different’ since 9/11
PEF fights for counseling
Victims’ families
grateful for PEF’s help
Contributions of PEF
activists missed
PEF to dedicate memorial
Departments
President's Message:
Endorsements and Loyalty
You Said It: Member's
letters this month
Member Mobilization: 8 steps
to success
Legislative Action:
Retirement, whistleblower laws
Nurses' Station: Help make
new future for nursing
Retirees In Action: Lucky to
get 1% COLA
PEF Membership Benefits
Program & Travel Corp
Union Matters
2002 Convention Preview
PEF researcher’s
discovery offers hope
Members show interest in
PS&T negotiations
Division 236 at Parole fully
mobilized
Members at Labor Dept. win
back rights
PEF fights big chemo bills
PEF vets keep wagering safe
bet
PEF wins OT pay
Highlights of PEF Exec
Board’s meeting
Member’s kids wins
scholarships
Support true charities, job
security
GET OUT THE VOTE!
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