A superior court judge in Maine recently denied appeals from horsemen Drew Campbell, Randy Bickmore and Stephen Vafiades in regard to cobalt positives that were announced last summer.
In June of 2016, a handful of horsepeople that were racing horses in Maine were handed fines and suspensions after performers from their stables produced positive tests for cobalt in 2015.
Campbell, Bickmore and Vafiades each received stays later in the month. At the time, Maine Harness Racing Commission Chairman Bill Varney was quoted as saying that the fines and suspensions were designed as a message. “The commission in the last year or so has stepped up the penalties,” he said. “The new penalties are more severe than they have been in the past and they’re testing for more things.”
To read the superior court ruling, click here.