From the California Horse Racing Board
The California Horse Racing Board Medication Committee will meet Nov. 28 to discuss issues including equine injury reporting, regulation of anabolic steroids, and out-of-competition testing.
The public meeting will be held in the I.M. Gary Gourley Laboratory at University of California-Davis at 1 p.m. PST. Other topics on the agenda are equine herpesvirus monitoring and emergency preparedness.
After the meeting, attendees can tour three on-campus facilities:
--Giannini Equine Athletic Performance Laboratory, for the evaluation of drug agents and training methods affecting performance and risks of injury in competitive horses. Guests will observe a racehorse running in full stride on a treadmill.
--J.D. Wheat Orthopedic Research Laboratory, for addressing complex problems relating to orthopedic diseases in animals.
--Kenneth Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, which conducts all primary testing of equine blood and urine samples for the CHRB. Dr. Scott Stanley will discuss the entire analytical process.
“All the time we hear of misperceptions about medication testing, injuries, and other issues,” said CHRB chairman Richard Shapiro, who also chairs the medication committee. “This is a rare chance to really understand the science and study of our efforts. I hope many people will avail themselves of this opportunity to better understand our efforts to protect the integrity of the sport and our horses.”
CHRB vice chairman John Harris, also a member of the committee, said it is “essential for all racing participants and fans to recognize the outstanding facilities and bright and hard-working scientists at (UC-Davis), who insure a level playing field for horse racing and the overall welfare of our horses. At times I have been disappointed with the lack of basic knowledge on this subject among horsemen. This meeting is an excellent opportunity to correct that deficiency.”
