A few interesting things not mentioned or fleshed out in the blog:
(1) Trombetta maintained that he didn't use clenbuterol nor did he have it in his possession. But that does not mean that he has
never used clenbuterol.
When the New York State Racing and Wagering Board implemented stricter regulation of clenbuterol, extended the restriction of use from 4 days out to 14 days:
Mike Trombetta is a Maryland-based trainer who has started 32 horses in New York the last two winters. Since the rules in Maryland and Pennsylvania allow clenbuterol to be given within four days, Trombetta said he will have to be "extremely selective" in what horses he can send to run in New York.
"What is okay practice in most places is now forbidden in New York. I don't understand what the purpose is."
(2) Trombetta had a drug violation only a few months before in Pennsylvania. He also had one back in 2008.
(3) While much was made about the defense lawyer's theory that the horse was exposed to clenbuterol in the few minutes after the running of the race, there is no mention of the equally possible chance that the horse was administered clenbuterol just
before the running of his race.
Note the quote from the UC Davis-based Dr. Scott Stanley does not specify timing with respect to the race:
“This horse either has a small recent exposure, or I can’t explain the measurements."
This does not imply the exact timing of the administration, although the blogger uses the quote to back the opinion of the lawyer.
In fact, small dose raceday administration (given directly in the trachea) of clenbuterol has long been alleged as a common raceday "cheat" at racetracks. The anecdotal evidence for this was so pronounced that there was more than one scientific study done exploring this method of administration.
Furthermore, the exact reason why regulators use a two-pronged threshold (one for blood and one for urine) is in order to identify raceday administration of clenbuterol. In that respect, the laboratory findings are not particularly surprising. A recent exposure is likely to be picked up in blood but not urine.
None of this is to serve as proof that Trombetta was the one who administered clenbuterol to the horse, but all-in-all, this case is not particularly unique unless you buy into the lawyer's theory.
