Testing changes possible

The New Jersey Racing Commission is prepared to begin out-of-competition testing in the state, which will allow the commission to go onto premises in the state—licensed farms such as Showplace and Gaitway and public property—unannounced and test horses for EPO and other illegal drugs. Current regulations in New Jersey provide only for race-day testing.

The new rules also provide the commission the ability to request any trainer, in or out of state, who is licensed in New Jersey or who has a horse that races in New Jersey, to bring any horse to any track in the state to be tested at their own cost.

In the event of a positive test, the horse will be prohibited from competing in New Jersey until it passes a test for EPO and passes a test for antibodies. Once a horse tests positive it would have to wait 21 days to re-test at the trainer’s expense. Fines and suspensions are expected to be more stringent than what currently exists.

The new procedure was expected to be introduced at the commission meeting scheduled for Wednesday, which was postponed due to the major snowstorm on the East Coast. A new date for the meeting has yet to be announced.

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