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Mullins to race out of detention barns after “milkshake” positive
Santa Anita Park has assigned all horses trained by Jeff Mullins to a 24-hour detention before race day after the Mullins-trained Puppeteer tested positive for an excess amount of alkaline agents after finishing second in the San Marcos Stakes (G2) on January 22.
The presence of more than 37 millimoles of alkaline agents per liter of plasma indicates that the horse received a "milkshake," the practice of giving a horse approximately 500 grams of sodium bicarbonate, glucose, and other additives. The substance can enhance performance by delaying the onset of fatigue or mask other illegal drugs in the equine system.
Mullins is the first trainer to have horses assigned to the detention barn since the Thoroughbred Owners of California and California Thoroughbred Trainers began testing for the alkaline agents using total Carbon Dioxide testing at the Oak Tree meet last fall. Rick Arthur, D.V.M., an Oak Tree Racing Association director, member of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, and chairman of the Total Carbon Dioxide Testing Review Committee in California, said Thursday that another trainer is under surveillance.
Oak Tree began testing for milkshakes during its 2004 fall meet with eight out of about 1,700 entrants testing above the permitted level of 37 millimoles per liter of plasma, though none tested above 39 millimoles. At the current Santa Anita meet, just two out of 2,200 with possibly a third tested positive, Arthur said.
Arthur would not release the names of the other trainers found in excess of the 37 millimoles per liter of plasma threshold until further investigation takes place.
Should one of a trainer’s runners test positive for excess alkaline agents a second time, that trainer will be unable to enter horses for a two-week period, and a third offense would result in a loss of stalls.
Arthur said that Mullins and the other implicated trainer have cooperated with authorities. Trainers signed a form when they requested stalls authorizing the milkshake testing, but the track, California owners, and California trainers cannot fine or suspend horsemen other than to restrict their participation at the entry box or deny stalls. The California Racing Board is expected to adopt regulations later this year in advance of taking over milkshake testing and penalty processes.
Puppeteer, a French Group 3 winner, joined Mullins’s stable after he finished fifth for owner Michael House and trainer Alain Royer Dupre in the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1) on October 9 at Keeneland Race Course. House purchased the five-year-old son of Singspiel (Ire) from 6C Racing Ltd. and brought him to the United States where he has won one of three starts, the W. L. McKnight Handicap (G2) on December 18 at Calder Race Course.—Ed DeRosa
Santa Anita Park has assigned all horses trained by Jeff Mullins to a 24-hour detention before race day after the Mullins-trained Puppeteer tested positive for an excess amount of alkaline agents after finishing second in the San Marcos Stakes (G2) on January 22.
The presence of more than 37 millimoles of alkaline agents per liter of plasma indicates that the horse received a "milkshake," the practice of giving a horse approximately 500 grams of sodium bicarbonate, glucose, and other additives. The substance can enhance performance by delaying the onset of fatigue or mask other illegal drugs in the equine system.
Mullins is the first trainer to have horses assigned to the detention barn since the Thoroughbred Owners of California and California Thoroughbred Trainers began testing for the alkaline agents using total Carbon Dioxide testing at the Oak Tree meet last fall. Rick Arthur, D.V.M., an Oak Tree Racing Association director, member of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, and chairman of the Total Carbon Dioxide Testing Review Committee in California, said Thursday that another trainer is under surveillance.
Oak Tree began testing for milkshakes during its 2004 fall meet with eight out of about 1,700 entrants testing above the permitted level of 37 millimoles per liter of plasma, though none tested above 39 millimoles. At the current Santa Anita meet, just two out of 2,200 with possibly a third tested positive, Arthur said.
Arthur would not release the names of the other trainers found in excess of the 37 millimoles per liter of plasma threshold until further investigation takes place.
Should one of a trainer’s runners test positive for excess alkaline agents a second time, that trainer will be unable to enter horses for a two-week period, and a third offense would result in a loss of stalls.
Arthur said that Mullins and the other implicated trainer have cooperated with authorities. Trainers signed a form when they requested stalls authorizing the milkshake testing, but the track, California owners, and California trainers cannot fine or suspend horsemen other than to restrict their participation at the entry box or deny stalls. The California Racing Board is expected to adopt regulations later this year in advance of taking over milkshake testing and penalty processes.
Puppeteer, a French Group 3 winner, joined Mullins’s stable after he finished fifth for owner Michael House and trainer Alain Royer Dupre in the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1) on October 9 at Keeneland Race Course. House purchased the five-year-old son of Singspiel (Ire) from 6C Racing Ltd. and brought him to the United States where he has won one of three starts, the W. L. McKnight Handicap (G2) on December 18 at Calder Race Course.—Ed DeRosa
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