Pennsylvania Code
Title 7 - AGRICULTURE
Part VIII - State Horse Racing Commission
Subpart F - Foreign Substances, Medications, Drugs and Equine Veterinary Practices
Chapter 401 - PROHIBITED AND UNLAWFUL PRACTICES-TEMPORARY REGULATIONS
PRE-RACE TESTING
Section 401.11 - Pre-race blood gas testing-Standardbred
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) General Rule-The administration or use of alkalinizing agents or similar substances that elevate a horse's Base Excess (BE) or TCO2 levels above those existing naturally in the untreated horse at normal physiological concentrations is prohibited. To assist in the detection of the prohibited substances in a horse entered to race, the Commission may conduct prerace blood sampling and pre-race testing with the use of an accepted, reliable testing instrument, including but not limited to a blood gas analyzer for measuring BE levels in blood samples.
(b) Unless otherwise permitted by these rules, no foreign substance shall be carried in the body of a horse when the horse is on the grounds of the licensed racetrack. It shall be a violation of this rule for a horse to test above the established BE levels on race day.
(c) The Board of Judges shall determine which horses will be selected for blood gas testing by random lots or by pre-determined selection based on previous elevated levels found in horses from a particular trainer or owner, probable cause or a trainer or owner's conditional license status.
(d) The Commission shall adopt standard operating procedures documenting the calibration procedures for the blood gas analyzer, sampling procedures, initial testing and retesting procedures, methods used by personnel and positive test notification processes. The documentation related to these procedures shall be made a part of the Commission's chain of custody documentation and shall be admitted into evidence any subsequent hearings without need for authentication or the presence of individuals preparing those documents.
(e) The Commission Veterinarian shall provide documentation reflecting the tattoo or name of the horse from which the blood was drawn, the date and time the blood was drawn, and any other identifying information the Commission deems necessary and appropriate. The Commission Veterinarian shall be responsible to verify that the blood samples for the specific horse in question were tested in accordance with the Commission's procedures.