DEL MAR, CA – North American racing regulators have
decided to consider the results of two scientific research studies that have
been commissioned to help detect the deliberate administration of cobalt in
racehorses before making a formal recommendation of a regulatory testing limit
to commission testing.
At the RCI Model Rules Committee
meeting last week, a proposed threshold was presented and later withdrawn by
representatives of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) pending
further discussion by the RMTC Board of Directors. That threshold, which is
based on an analysis of an RMTC-coordinated project that is funded by the
Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council and conducted by Dr. Heather Knych, an
Assistant Professor at the University of California at Davis School of
Veterinary Medicine, was advanced with the support of 8 of the 14 members of
the RMTC Scientific Advisory Committee.
A second research project, funded by
the United States Trotting Association (USTA), is near completion according to
remarks made at the meeting by Ivan Axelrod, Chairman of the USTA. That project
is being conducted by George Maylin, DVM, PhD, at the New York Drug Testing and
Research Program at Morrisville State College in New York. He is assisted by
Karyn Malinowski, PhD, and Kenneth McKeever, MS, PhD, FACSM, the Director and
Associate Director, respectively, of the Equine Science Center at Rutgers
University in New Jersey.
Racing regulators are concerned that
cobalt treatments may be given to racehorses with an intent to affect
performance by inducing red blood cell production similar to the prohibited use
of erythropoietin (EPO). All horses have some degree of cobalt in their system
as a result of diet and environmental factors. Excessive amounts may indicate a
deliberate administration, above and beyond what would be considered
appropriate or normal for vitamin or mineral supplements.
Concerns have been raised about
horses with extremely elevated levels of cobalt and regulators are eager to
better understand if an equine welfare threat exists.
In 2009, the Ontario Racing
Commission issued a notice from then-Veterinary Supervisor, Dr. Bruce Duncan,
who noted that “when administered in appropriate quantities, there is likely
very little performance benefit. And when used in excess, this element can be
toxic to horses.”
The California Horse Racing Board
(CHRB) has issued the following notice to horsemen and veterinarians:
"Cobalt toxicity
has been associated with myocardial (heart muscle) and other organ pathology in
humans and other animals. High cobalt levels have been associated with the
parenteral or oral administration of cobalt salts. While there is no documented
evidence of cobalt toxicity in racehorses, the CHRB considers the
administration of cobalt salts a potential equine health and safety
issue."
But the New Jersey Agriculture
Experiment Station at Rutgers University indicates on their website the
following:
“High blood cobalt
probably would indicate high doses of B-12 being given (the trace mineral is
easier to test than the actual vitamin). The calming effect would be
undesirable in a racehorse. It is virtually non-toxic and rapidly excreted
through the kidneys if given in large doses, so there is no negative
consequence other than possibly a quieter horse. It is recommended to give B-12
to stressed horses at around 30 microgram/kg of feed. There are no requirements
for cobalt established for horses so it is uncertain what normal or excessive
blood concentrations of cobalt would be. The National Research Council (2007)
has set the maximum tolerable intake for cobalt to be 25 mg/kg (ppm) in the
total ration but admits they base that decision on data from other species. There
is no indication that horses on normal rations need supplemental cobalt.”
In addition, Dr. Dionne Benson,
Executive Director of the RMTC, reiterated statements at last week’s meeting that she
has previously made to the press indicating that it is unclear at what point
cobalt can become toxic to a horse.
The RCI Board of Directors discussed
whether to handle findings of excessive levels of cobalt indicating a
deliberate administration of cobalt absent a documented deficiency and
veterinarian prescribed treatment as “horse tampering”.
“It’s one thing for a horse to be
treated for a condition by its veterinarian, but quite another to be tampered
with prior to a race,”
RCI President Ed Martin said. “Tampering is bad enough, but if we find
that the tampering endangers the horse, then it’s time to throw the book at
someone.”
Although the RMTC-proposed threshold
was withdrawn, a number of regulators had lingering questions as to the extent
that data from Standardbred horses was included in their recommendation. Duncan
Patterson, Chairman of RCI’s Drug Testing Standards and Practices Committee,
recommended that the association consider the two studies before adopting a
formal recommendation to commissions and laboratories.
