by Moira Fanning, publicity director, the Hambletonian Society

Campbellville, ON — All entrants in the $1.7 million Breeders Crown Open events, to be raced on Saturday, September 1, at Mohawk Racetrack, have co-operated with the Hambletonian Society’s out-of-competition testing rules and Woodbine Entertainment Group’s track rules, as a condition of participation in the Breeders Crown races.

WEG investigators accompanied by a veterinarian drew blood from all contestants entered in the Breeders Crown events. Specimens were sent to Racing Forensics Lab, an Ontario laboratory which specializes in equine testing, to be tested for a wide range of blood-doping agents including recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) and darbepoetin as well as illegal non-therapeutic substances.

All samples taken from these horses may also be frozen for future testing.

“The Hambletonian Society is committed to the challenge of dealing with the issue of illegal medication and appreciate the cooperation of the Breeders Crown participants and WEG management in our initial execution of our out of-competition testing rules,” said Tom Charters, president of the Hambletonian Society.

The Society is a supporter of the Racing Testing and Medication Consortium.