The Indiana Horse Racing Commission has announced that it has handed a 10-year suspension to a Standardbred horse trainer.

Via release, the commission announced that trainer Bradley Moffitt has been suspended for 10 years for a positive test for darbepoetin alpha (DPO). DPO, an RCI Class 1 drug, is considered a performance enhancer when administered to racehorses. This positive marks the first time a synthetic blood doping agent has been found in Indiana.

The penalty is the result of a settlement agreement between Moffitt and commission staff, which was unanimously approved by the IHRC at its July 15 public meeting in Indianapolis.

“I believe the 10-year suspension to be an effective deterrent,” said Joe Gorajec, the commission’s executive director. “Hopefully, this will cause horsemen to think twice before racing a blood-doped horse at an Indiana track.”

The race resulting in the positive occurred on May 31, 2014 at Hoosier Park. Moffitt’s suspension runs March 18, 2015 through March 18, 2025.

(With files from the IHRC)