Deep Impact Tests Positive in the Arc

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I am amazed at the tolerance people seem to show towards drug positives. We are at a point in racing where the prevelance of undetectable performance enhancers are being used rampantly and some of the same people who may use these also get caught with overages in known illegal medications. A little gluttonous if you ask me.

Here's a thought....stop defending the cheaters and cheating...no matter what it is and who is doing it. It's basically called zero tolerance.

The question here is does it or does it not affect performance? If it does, by all means burn them at the stake. Slaps on the wrist just isn't cutting it.

I'd love to see past performances that clued you in why the horse was on a lay-off. Unless your reading the DRF religiously and it is a 'popular' horse you will have no clue.

[Pedigree Ann]

"Traces of ipratropium, an anticholinergic administered by inhalation for the treatment of lung diseases, were found in the horse's urine samples after tests carried out in France. The JRA, which was informed of the results of the test by French horse racing authorities, does not list ipratropium as a banned substance."

'Trace' amount usually means it is not present in sufficient amount to have had any effect on the day in question. You would be surprised at what many humans have trace amounts of in their bloodstreams (or kidneys). Modern techniques allow chemists to find tiny, parts-per-billion tiny, amounts of things in solution, which could not possibly enhance or detract from performance in the concentration found. Zero tolerance policies are a lazy way to get around having to use any kind of judgment.