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Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association – edited

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit has issued a stay on the a 60-day provisional suspension of trainer Jorge Duarte after a horse he trained tested positive for methamphetamine.

The suspension was stayed after an affidavit was submitted that provided evidence that methamphetamine contamination was likely due to a freelance hotwalker who was associated with another methamphetamine positive. The lifting of the suspension was reported by Thoroughbred Daily News.

A horse named Happy Cat, trained by Duarte, tested positive for methamphetamine after a May 22 race at Delaware Park. According to documentation submitted to HIWU on Wednesday by Duarte, Happy Cat had been walked by a freelance hotwalker on race day. The same hotwalker had walked another horse for trainer Bonnie Lucas, and that horse tested positive the following day for methamphetamine as well. Though this hotwalker tested negative for methamphetamine, she had seven days’ notice before that test. She later refused to submit to a hair analysis, and stopped communicating with Duarte.

Methamphetamine is a banned substance under the Anti-Doping and Medication Control protocol administered by HIWU. However, under Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act changes that are pending under Federal Trade Commission review, there is a planned new set of rules that treat banned substances commonly abused by humans differently. If those revised rules pass FTC review, methamphetamine will be one of the substances covered by the rules for drugs of human substance abuse.

The matter of Duarte’s provisional suspension has been stayed pending approval of the new set of rules. If Duarte is eventually suspended in this matter, he will be credited with the 15 days of his provisional suspension that he has already served.