Forte failed a drug test last september

[VeryOldMan]

Originally Posted by SG4

Looks like racing dodged a media bullet with him being out of the Derby:


https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-rac...cher-suspended

Query whether seeking to avoid media bullets explains why this just so happened to drop AFTER the Kentucky Derby. Spared messiness about Pletcher, reciprocity, comparisons to Baffert, etc., etc., etc. Also - what did CDI know and when did they know it? How pretextual was the Forte scratch with this dropping less than a week later?

The lack of transparency and urgency in these matters is galling.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by HorsemenHeist

It is a big problem that we are only now finding out about this failed test. The race in question was 8 months ago!

This smells a lot like the special treatment Bob Baffert received from the CHRB in the Justify matter.

Forte should have his Eclipse Award revoked. Would he have been eligible to start in the Breeders Cup with a bad test? I thought BC had rules in place for that.

That’s what I find most disturbing about these things . The fact it takes months for public disclosure. I could give a flying fck about those goofy awards they hand out . It’s the fact the public is kept in the dark for months as to what’s going on . In a game that involves the public wagering their money . The old “while an investigation takes place “ is jargon for hush up til we feel ready to disclose . The test results of a positive should be immediately released . Then conduct your investigation. It’s a shady way to operate if you don’t want people questioning the validity of your sport and it’s adhering to an above board , transparent governing of suspected violations.

What if he entered and won Saturday or even won all 3 do we hear about it in July again ? Or if he won Saturday and this comes out this week like it did ? Who runs the PR for these tracks ? Are they looking for controversy? Is that the game ? Jeez

[ubercapper]

Originally Posted by burnsy

That’s what I find most disturbing about these things . The fact it takes months for public disclosure. I could give a flying fck about those goofy awards they hand out . It’s the fact the public is kept in the dark for months as to what’s going on . In a game that involves the public wagering their money . The old “while an investigation takes place “ is jargon for hush up til we feel ready to disclose . The test results of a positive should be immediately released . Then conduct your investigation. It’s a shady way to operate if you don’t want people questioning the validity of your sport and it’s adhering to an above board , transparent governing of suspected violations.

What if he entered and won Saturday or even won all 3 do we hear about it in July again ? Or if he won Saturday and this comes out this week like it did ? Who runs the PR for these tracks ? Are they looking for controversy? Is that the game ? Jeez

This all changes under HISA. 20-30 days for adjudication. Public Disclosure. Trainer suspended after a finding and NOT after the adjudication process has been completed. Trainers CAN appeal to a Federal Arbitration Judge but I believe they remain suspended. It's all covered in various stories related to Forte.

[Tom]

About damn time.

HISA is long overdue.

[Brass Hat]

When I read reports about drugging I always think of the catchphrase "the barn is cold" and wonder if there is something else going on behind the scenes that horseplayers are not made aware of. There is a trainer in NY who had a 26% winning percentage ten years ago, his barn was suddenly "ice cold" last Spa meet, he has been at 10% during the current year.

Forte looked like a live bet on Hopeful day, according to the DRF workouts report he had kept up without urging with older horse Bal Harbor who had won going away in an earlier race, and was claimed by Roberto Diodoro out of that race.

[Robert Fischer]

NSAIDs may have helped slightly reduce swelling and/or pain for Forte.

if it's limited or completely banned on raceday then he deserves to be DQ'd from the Hopeful IMO.

I would be cool with horses running on NSAIDs if not for a couple reasons; 1)It could mask serious injury that needs a layoff or retirement in a cheaper horse(or even a talented but unsound horse, I guess...)
and/or 2) it can be harsh on their stomach/digestive if overused

an overage of Meloxicam shouldn't really be referred to as doping.


then we have actual acute PEDs that aren't detected and are used by pretty much every trainer interested in either a high% or maximum performance.
More widespread currently than ever before. Better understood by trainers and super-owners than ever before.

horse racing, the industry doesn't even have a 'take' on the undetectable PEDs, and their best approach is to pretend that overages (and obviously overages are detectable meds not undetectables) are the complete story of performance enhancement.

Most long-time players and hobbyists/fans think that something like a Forte's overage, or that trainers who have had an overage are equal to 'the cheaters' or 'doping' or 'juicing'.

the NYT writer, and popular horse racing writers, and social media 'influencers' intentionally rabble-rouse this misunderstanding.

Also in this environment we have more stupidity piled on, where lawyers for trainers and owners always try to claim that overages are environmental contamination (as if it's really plausible for a barn worker to be taking a high enough dosage of Meloxicam and then take a giant piss in the barn... to produce significant enough contamination of a specific substance).

[rastajenk]

Originally Posted by Spalding No!

The medication testing arm of HISA (HIWU) has yet to be implemented. The main reasons for the delay was USADA opting out & all the lawsuits from various horsemen groups.

It is supposed to go into effect in a few days.

Expect another delay...can't have 1/3 of the Triple Crown to be run under different regimes than the other 2/3's

[biggestal99]

todays the day for HISA to take effect.

“The ADMC Program requires public disclosure of alleged Anti-Doping Rule Violations once the Covered Person has been notified of the violation and Provisionally Suspended. The alleged violation will be reported by HIWU on its website, and the public information disclosed will include the date of the collection, the name of the Covered Person, the identity of the Covered Horse, the alleged ADMC Program Rule Violation, and the Prohibited Substance or Method detected/involved. Alleged Controlled Medication Rule Violations will be publicly disclosed once the B (“split”) Sample is confirmed by another lab or analysis of the Sample is waived by the Covered Person. In short, it will take weeks, not months, for an alleged violation to come to light“

about time.

Allan

[rastajenk]

It already takes only 'weeks' in the jurisdiction I am familiar with. Just because New York and California constantly have issues is not a reason for federal oversight. We're doing just fine here in flyover country.

[biggestal99]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

It already takes only 'weeks' in the jurisdiction I am familiar with. Just because New York and California constantly have issues is not a reason for federal oversight. We're doing just fine here in flyover country.

of course your jusidication isnt every jurisdition.

now every jurisdiction will be under the same rules.

thats good, right?

Allan

[rastajenk]

Not if it means the minor racing states have to pay for the misdeeds, transgressions, and lack of transparency of the major racing states. Why does it matter to a trainer of $10,000 claimers at Belterra, Indy, and Turfway that it took 8 months to reveal a Forte positive?