In Maryland's continuing effort to comply with the Mid-Atlantic Uniform Medication and Drug Testing program, which requires laboratories to be fully accredited, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a five-year contract Feb. 5 with Truesdail Laboratories of Tustin, Calif.
Under the contract, Truesdail will perform the analytical analysis of all urine and blood specimens taken from horses competing at Maryland races.
"The implementation of the Truesdail Laboratories contract is another step in the Maryland Racing Commission's comprehensive medication reform policy and its ongoing efforts to provide for the safety of our human and equine athletes and to ensure the integrity of our sport," said Maryland Racing Commission chairman Bruce Quade.
The Maryland regulator said the contract will provide the Maryland Racing industry with state-of-the-art technologies to screen and confirm drugs and medications administered to horses which exceed the permissive levels allowed by regulation or are not allowed to be present in a horse's system on race day.
The partnership with Truesdail along with other aspects of the medication policy will reinforce the integrity of horse racing in Maryland and will ensure that the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) is consistent with other legs of the Triple Crown Races regarding medication policies, according to a release from the commission.
The contract is effective with races conducted Feb. 8 at Laurel Park.