Commission To Handle Glaucine Positives as Contaminant

Glaucine has been found in bedding for Maryland horses. But the Maryland Racing Commission is not sleeping on it.

Alarmed that the herbal extract that is widely used in Europe for bronchial dilation to help a horse breathe better but is not allowed to be used in the United States was showing up in blood tests in New York and Delaware a few months ago, the MRC took steps to assess Glaucine’s impact in Maryland.

To the MRC’s surprise, results returned from Maryland’s independent testing facility, Truesdail Laboratories, Inc., in Irvine, Calif., found a rash of positive tests, but it wasn’t exactly the Glaucine used in Europe.

Maryland’s Glaucine was coming from tulip poplar trees (pictured below).

“We adjusted our [post-race] testing to look for it,” said MRC executive director Mike Hopkins. “What we discovered was that it was coming from sawdust, the bedding being used by some trainers. Our tests showed the Glaucine, but it also showed one of three or all three alkaloids that are not present in the Glaucine that is used in Europe.”

A total of 10 positive tests surfaced the first week of May; two at Rosecroft Raceway, Maryland’s harness track, and eight at Laurel Park. The blood and urine samples all showed the alkaloids associated with the tulip poplar trees present with the Glaucine.

“All of the trainers were using the same provider,” said Hopkins. “In these cases the form of Glaucine being found was coming from the poplar trees the manufacturer was using for the shavings.”

The MRC conducted a meeting June 27, and moved to handle the findings as an environmental contaminant and released the purses of the trainers affected.

“The commission also decided if future positives occur, and contain one of or all of the alkaloids from the poplar trees, no action will be taken against the trainers,” Hopkins said. “However, if the test is positive and it doesn’t contain any of the alkaloids, we will prosecute.”

Trainer Tim Keefe, president of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said he thinks the decision is fair.

“I think it is the right thing to do,” Keefe said. “The research and testing that was done was thorough and clearly found the contamination was from an environmental cause, coming from poplar tree shavings. No one was trying to do anything underhanded or wrong.”

Just what trainers would have to worry about should Glaucine be found without the alkaloid markers from the tulip poplar trees is unclear. Hopkins said there are no penalties in place for the offense.

“We’ve never had it appear before,” he said. “And we won’t have any penalties until the need arises.”

But Hopkins added that due to the findings in Maryland, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, which strives to develop and promote uniform rules nationally, has established a committee of scientific advisors to study the issue.

“Hopefully, they will be making recommendations at some point in the future,” Hopkins said.