Brewer Adams appeals 27-month suspension in Delaware

As a result of three positives for buprenorphine at Dover Downs in November, Brewer Adams, the leading trainer by wins and purse earnings at Rockingham Park in 2008, has been given a suspension of 810 days and fined $9,000 by the Delaware Harness Racing Commission. Adams has appealed the rulings, which would have suspended him from Jan. 14, 2009 through April 3, 2011.

Adams, 33, received one positive test on his horse None Can Compare after a career-best 1:54.2 victory on Nov. 16 (the horse was claimed out of a $10,000 claimer Dec. 7 and is no longer trained by Adams). The other two positives came on his horse Aloha Reggie, who had a 1:55.1 victory on Nov. 19 and a second-place finish on Nov. 26.

Tony Morgan was the driver in each instance, which means his 2008-leading total of 961 victories could subsequently be reduced by two to 959.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration website, buprenorphine was first marketed in the U.S. in 1985 as a Schedule V narcotic analgesic. In October 2002, the Food and Drug Administration approved two buprenorphine products (Suboxone and Subutex) for the treatment of narcotic addiction.

The website stated buprenorphine is intended for the treatment of pain and opiod addiction and is long lasting of from 24-72 hours. “It is about 20-30 times more potent than morphine as an analgesic and, like morphine it produces dose-related euphoria, drug liking, pupillary constriction, respiratory depression and sedation.”

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