Council members also asked Tobin to bring pre-proposals to the group regarding the viability of research of cobra venom and equine growth hormones.
The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council is moving forward on research to develop tests for presence of the drugs Inolin, a bronchodialator which could also enhance performance, and Dizocilpine, a potential stimulant. The council is also working toward establishing a new way to do business with the University of Kentucky to accomplish such research. The drug council, a sub-committee of the Kentucky Racing Commission, met Wednesday in Lexington. At a previous meeting, the group reviewed a list of medications targeted for research by the National Racing Medication and Testing Consortium and selected some to pursue themselves. Dr. Thomas Tobin, a researcher at the Gluck Equine Research Center, presented the council with research pre-proposals on five medications and after discussion, the group decided to move forward on the Inolin and Dizocilpine projects at this time and in principal, allocated $350,000 toward that research. In the past, the KRC paid Tobin directly for his work on their behalf. It appears that will now change. Dr. Scott Smith, dean of the University of Kentucky School of Agriculture, and Dr. Nancy Cox, associate dean for research at UK, explained to the council their recommendation that monies now go from the KRC to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation. That body would then direct funds to Tobin or other researchers at UK. To supervise those projects, Smith recommended $50,000-$75,000 be allotted to the College of Agriculture to provide more oversight and review of KRC-funded research. The council is pushing to get formal contracts in place and approved at its next meeting on Dec. 3. Since many of the members are also member of the Kentucky Racing Commission, the composition of the group could change after the Nov. 4 gubernatorial election. "I would like to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together and put it in motion before the next group comes in," said Robert Stallings, chairman of the council.