Medication Use: A Horse Racing Fan’s Need to Know

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8. Horsemen: Demorphin Penalties Should Be Harsh

he National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and its affiliates said they have “zero tolerance” for trainers who use illegal Class 1 and Class 2 substances in racehorses in the wake of about 30 positives for the pain-killer Demorphin in the Southwest.

The substance, fluid from certain South American frogs, was discovered in tests at Industrial Laboratories in Colorado and later used by the Louisiana State University equine drug-testing laboratory. Demorphin is related to morphine; it can kill pain, stimulate running, and suppress the feeling of exhaustion after exercise, the National HBPA said in a June 21 release on the topic.

“Dermorphin is doping,” National HBPA chief executive officer Phil Hanrahan said. “Those who use Dermorphin should be severely punished.”

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/70715/horsemen-demorphin-penalties-should-be-harsh#ixzz1ySQNtWbr