In order to develop comprehensive proposals on the use of therapeutic medications and recommended penalties for violations in harness racing, United States Trotting Association President Phil Langley has appointed a diverse panel of experts to a new USTA medication advisory committee.

“Recognizing that some of the fault was that the USTA lacked sufficient scientific representation on the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC),” said USTA President Phil Langley, “I have appointed a widely representative advisory committee to guide us in future medication proposals.”

The members of the USTA medication advisory committee are: eminent researchers Dr. George Maylin and Dr. Thomas Tobin; practicing veterinarians Dr. Jay Baldwin, Dr. Janet Durso and Dr. William Moffett; trainers Mark Ford, Sam Beegle, Ray Schnittker and David McCaffrey; racing commissioners Bob Schmitz and Alan Leavitt; attorneys Joe Faraldo and Chris Wittstruck; racing investigator Brice Cote; Hambletonian Society President and CEO Tom Charters; and Phil Langley, Mike Tanner, and T.C. Lane from the USTA.

As has been widely reported during the past few weeks, the USTA has struggled with acceptance of some of the RMTC and Association of Racing Commissoners International (RCI) proposed uniform medication rules – especially those regarding clenbuterol and corticosteroids.

“Under these proposed rules, both medications would become virtually useless in harness racing,” said USTA President Phil Langley. “We are hopeful that after much discussion with RMTC and with testimony before racing commissions, some adjustments will be forthcoming.”

The USTA has already been working with the Pennsylvania horsemen groups to commission Dr. Larry Soma and Dr. Mary Robinson to conduct research on items like EPO, extracorporeal shock wave therapy and some of the unknown drugs that most threaten the integrity of harness racing. Their research also is pursuing alternatives to clenbuterol and the adjustment of threshold levels that can be utilized with standardbreds.

(USTA)