While the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority digs deeper into equine drug test findings of metformin, positives for the medication used in humans to treat diabetes show no signs of slowing.
On June 21 the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit, the enforcement arm of HISA, posted two more metformin findings to its list of pending violations. In policy changes announced June 4, the trainers involved in these pending findings will not face provisional (immediate) suspensions—which are assigned for many banned substance findings—but the horses involved still face disqualification.
The metformin positives posted Friday to the HIWU site listing pending findings are against trainers David Martinez and Kathryn Davey.
For Martinez the positive is linked to a May 26 start at Emerald Downs for gelding Naval Escort , a homebred for owner/breeder Oak Crest Farm. Naval Escort posted a clear victory in that allowance race but faces disqualification, which would see the owner lose a $13,965 purse.
For Davey the positive followed a 7 1/2-length victory by Awesome Beast in a May 23 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream Park. The effort marked the career debut for Awesome Beast but the gelding faces disqualification over the positive, which would see owner/breeder Davey’s K. D. Racing lose out on a $24,100 purse.
On June 4 HISA announced that it would defer provisional suspensions of trainers over metformin positives until a thorough scientific review can be conducted. The change was recommended by HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control Standing Committee.
Metformin is tricky in that horsemen believe human-to-horse contamination is occurring because the drug is widely used to control diabetes but some studies on the human side suggest metformin can be used to increase stamina and promote quicker recovery after high-intensity exercise.
The drug has shown up in a number of racehorse blood and urine tests since last June, including the filly Heaven and Earth , whose positive test led to a two-year suspension and $25,000 fine for trainer Jonathan Wong, who is seeking to challenge his penalties in court.
HISA and HIWU have asked the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium’s Scientific Advisory Committee to conduct a review of the available science relating to metformin. Following the RMTC’s board of directors’ approval, any conclusions drawn and guidance produced regarding the SAC’s review will be shared with the ADMC committee. Once the RMTC Scientific Advisory Committee completes its work, which is expected to take a few months, the ADMC committee and the HISA board will determine whether any policy changes regarding metformin should be submitted to the Federal Trade Commission for approval.
HISA notes that in this interim period, metformin remains a prohibited substance. A positive test result for metformin—regardless of the source and/or the existence of any mitigating circumstances, will result in the automatic disqualification of race results of the relevant covered horse. Also, covered horses that test positive for metformin are still subject to a provisional suspension.
 "BCCI want Test specialists to play domestic cricket; Rohit, Virat, Bumrah to be exceptions")
