All 117 horses entered in the Breeders Crown events this weekend have been subjected to out-of-competition testing by the New Jersey Racing Commission.
To date, 80 per cent of the collected blood samples have been analyzed and have cleared the lab. This includes 20 entrants that have had blood drawn and analyzed more than once.
In addition, the standard pre and post-race testing will be conducted by the NJ Racing Commission, which has jurisdiction over all pari-mutuel races conducted in the state.
“The Hambletonian Society is committed to the challenge of dealing with the issue of illegal medication and appreciates the cooperation of the NJ Racing Commission and the Breeders Crown participants as well as Meadowlands management in our execution of the out-of-competition testing rules,” said Tom Charters, president of the Hambletonian Society.
The $6.2 million Breeders Crown events, to be raced Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 at The Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, NJ bring together the top harness horses in North America.
The Hambletonian Society’s rules are a condition of entry in the Breeders Crown races. The Breeders Crown out-of-competition rules as specified in the racing conditions were used for the first time in 2007 and have continued to date with the cooperation of host tracks and state and provincial commissions.
Under the Breeders Crown conditions blood samples may, without notice, be taken for testing of any racehorse participating in the Crown event, stabled on or off the grounds, in New Jersey or out of state. Additionally, all samples taken from these horses may also be frozen for future testing.
The Society is also a supporter of the Racing, Testing and Medication Consortium.
(Breeders Crown)