East Rutherford, NJ - For
the past year, Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment has been conducting out
of competition testing on horses racing at The Meadowlands, in part to
determine if any trainers are using illegal substances, but also to gather
information pertaining to what racehorses are being given prior to their races
and to implement rules to keep the horses safe. This testing, performed
in a joint effort by The Meadowlands and other jurisdictions, is in the form of
blood samples taken from horses racing at The Meadowlands. We had heard
rumors that a substance known as Cobalt was being used because it was difficult
to detect and was not being tested for. A large number of these samples
have revealed the presence of Cobalt in the horse’s system. In two cases
there were massive amounts present when the samples were analyzed by the lab at
the Hong Kong Jockey Club. In both cases those trainers are no longer
allowed to participate at our three tracks.
After a lengthy process, including researching into what
Cobalt is and what it does for the horses and discussions with many
veterinarians, The Meadowlands has determined that when an excessive amount of
Cobalt is administered to a horse, it can be very harmful. When used in
excess, the affects of Cobalt can be, but are not limited to: cardiovascular
issues, potential nerve problems, thickening of the blood and thyroid toxicity.
Based on this information, The Meadowlands has determined
that in excessive levels, Cobalt is both a performance enhancing substance and
detrimental to the health and well-being of the horse. We are quite
certain that trainers and veterinarians using Cobalt were well aware of
this. Therefore, going forward The Meadowlands has established a
threshold level of four (4) times the standard deviation above the normal level
of Cobalt. If a blood sample reveals that a horse has a Cobalt level
higher than four (4) times the standard deviation above the normal level, the
trainer of that horse will be deemed unable to participate at The Meadowlands,
Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs. The odds of a horse having a Cobalt level
that exceeds this threshold without having been administered an excessive
amount of the substance are roughly 1 in 10,000.
“We are committed to providing the most integrity-driven
product in harness racing,” said Chairman Jeff Gural. “We set out on a
mission when taking over The Meadowlands to not only provide our customers with
that integrity-driven product, but to do what is best for the horse and for the
industry. This threshold of Cobalt being implemented for horses competing
at The Meadowlands, Vernon Downs and Tioga Downs is just one step toward
achieving what we set out to achieve. If you are found to be giving your
horses an excessive amount of this substance, you are not racing at any of our
three racetracks, plain and simple. This is not about catching trainers
that are cheating, this is about keeping our equine athletes safe and healthy and
providing our betting public and all of our participants a product that is on a
level playing field.”
