O'Neill suspended for positive test

[Rex Phinney]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

In athletics, relaxed muscles increase speed.
Try swinging a golf club with your grip, forearms, and shoulders all tensed up.

Good point.

[DeanT]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

If it has muscle relaxant properties (which is what it states) that kind of thing is often given to humans with muscle cramping.

Maybe the horse was really high strung?

I know less than nothing about these matters when it comes to horses, but I don't see performance enhancer here.

The Class rating system is a good guide. They, and its rare perhaps, do a good job of rating drugs based on performance enhancing and therapeutic. Class II drugs are biggies. In a place like Ontario, which redid a lot of the rules in 2008, give out a suspension of 1 to 5 years for all first offense Class II's (pdf here http://www.ontarioracingcommission.c...Guidelines.pdf

Note: They added "no therapeutic" fines/section to combat EPO/Aransnep and other bloodbuilders

[classhandicapper]

I'll leave it to the experts to decide if this was some kind of accidental miniscule overage that resulted from a therapeutic treatment, a total accidental exposure, or an attempt at performance enhancement, but I've taken both muscle relaxants for cramping and a benzodiazepine for insomnia (similar class). They made me feel great and got rid of the symptoms, but I'm pretty sure they diminished my athletic ability....if you know what I mean.

[Stillriledup]

O'Neill is currently 19 0 0 0 at Santa Anita.

[nijinski]

Originally Posted by DeanT

Class II's are deemed non-therapeutic. I dont know what happened in this instance, but between races it's hard to see how or why a derivative of Valium would be used therapeutically.

To ship here ?

[Grits]

Bruce Levine's positive is worse than O'Neill's. But no one says a word about him?

The fine issued to him should've been just as great. Due to the fact, the drug, Sildenafil--is--performance enhancing. When given to a racehorse its sole purpose is that of acting as a vasodialator to the blood vessels of the lungs. I believe I've stated before, Sildenafil treats pulmonary hypertension and ED. Trainers are still trying to get away with administering it to horses. One doesn't fill an animal with a drug that directly affects its lung and heart function when there is no diagnosed problem with either. This is wrong.

The brand names of Sildenafil (the generic), of course, are Viagra, Levitra (Vardenafil), Cialis, etc when given for ED. When prescribed for pulmonary disease, the brand name is Revatio. The RCI needs to better educate themselves on this drug and its risk to racehorses rather than continue to let trainers get by with a slap on the wrist.

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/sildenafil.html

Sildenafil is a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. It works by relaxing and dilating the blood vessels in the lungs. This lowers the blood pressure in the lungs and helps to improve your ability to exercise.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Grits

Bruce Levine's positive is worse than O'Neill's. But no one says a word about him?

The fine issued to him should've been just as great. Due to the fact, the drug, Sildenafil--is--performance enhancing. When given to a racehorse its sole purpose is that of acting as a vasodialator to the blood vessels of the lungs. I believe I've stated before, Sildenafil treats pulmonary hypertension and ED. Trainers are still trying to get away with administering it to horses. One doesn't fill an animal with a drug that directly affects its lung and heart function when there is no diagnosed problem with either. This is wrong.

The brand names of Sildenafil (the generic), of course, are Viagra, Levitra (Vardenafil), Cialis, etc when given for ED. When prescribed for pulmonary disease, the brand name is Revatio. The RCI needs to better educate themselves on this drug and its risk to racehorses rather than continue to let trainers get by with a slap on the wrist.

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/sildenafil.html

2007, especially 2008 and 2009 seem to have this particular trainer's best years.

Comparing his 2011 to present training record, it was nothing like 2008.

Maybe he forgot how to train?

[BIG49010]

Originally Posted by Grits

Bruce Levine's positive is worse than O'Neill's. But no one says a word about him?

The fine issued to him should've been just as great. Due to the fact, the drug, Sildenafil--is--performance enhancing. When given to a racehorse its sole purpose is that of acting as a vasodialator to the blood vessels of the lungs. I believe I've stated before, Sildenafil treats pulmonary hypertension and ED. Trainers are still trying to get away with administering it to horses. One doesn't fill an animal with a drug that directly affects its lung and heart function when there is no diagnosed problem with either. This is wrong.

The brand names of Sildenafil (the generic), of course, are Viagra, Levitra (Vardenafil), Cialis, etc when given for ED. When prescribed for pulmonary disease, the brand name is Revatio. The RCI needs to better educate themselves on this drug and its risk to racehorses rather than continue to let trainers get by with a slap on the wrist.

http://www.drugs.com/cdi/sildenafil.html

Thanks for putting this up, I was thinking when I read the Bloodhorse story, why the hell would a gelding need Viagra!

[chadk66]

my guess is Doug was using this to treat a filly that was probably a little flighty/nervous and may be a horse that ties up after training.

[horses4courses]

Originally Posted by chadk66

my guess is Doug was using this to treat a filly that was probably a little flighty/nervous and may be a horse that ties up after training.

With you being a former trainer, your guesses are educated ones

[RacingFan1992]

Anyone else sick of trainers serving their suspensions after the big races? "Joe Smith today had a horse that tested positive for every banned substance dating back to the 1880's, the horse will race in the BC Classic, and the trainer will serve his suspension after all the big races and he retires." Bull S**t. As soon as the test comes back positive, the suspension should go into effect immediately. All the races that the horse won under that trainer should be striped from its record. For example, if Joe Smith trained a Triple Crown winner from the day the horse was a maiden and the last race of the three year old career, the horse tested positive for "Drug X" then the horse should be striped of its title as well as the wins under the trainer. This does sound harsh but it should not be tolerated in Horse Racing. (I know some people are thinking of a few of the Triple Crown winners.)

[Mineshaft]

Originally Posted by chadk66

my guess is Doug was using this to treat a filly that was probably a little flighty/nervous and may be a horse that ties up after training.

No doubt