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RMTC Calls Nikethamide ‘Very Dangerous Drug’ for Horses

March 4, 2013
Posted by Frank Angst

It’s the first in more than a decade, but a recent positive nikethamide test has racing regulators’ attention.

Topics: Article, Medications, Thoroughbred Racing

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While a recent positive test for the drug nikethamide is the first in more than a decade in U.S. horse racing, the dangerous nature of the Class I drug has the attention of regulators following a positive in July 2012.

While trainer Chris Grove plans to appeal the decision, stewards at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, in Charles Town, W.Va., suspended him for six months and fined him $5,000 Feb. 28 following a positive test for the stimulant in July. Stewards assigned the same penalties to Grove’s assistant Misael Ceciliano.

According to research by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), the July 2012 positive for nikethamide is the first in U.S. racing since 2001.

Nikethamide has made headlines in the past, though. Use of the stimulant was more prevalent in the U.S. in the 1980s. In 1953 three stakes winners at the Royal Randwick meeting in Australia, including Doncaster Handicap winner Tarien, were disqualified following positives for nikethamide

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Written by:

Frank Angst

Frank Angst is a staff writer for The Blood-Horse magazine. An American Horse Publications three-time winner in best news story category, Angst has covered horse racing for more than a decade. Angst spent ten years at Thoroughbred Times, where he earned awards as that magazine’s senior writer and helped launch Thoroughbred Times TODAY. Besides covering horse racing, Angst enjoys handicapping. Angst has written about sports for more than 20 years, including several seasons covering a nationally ranked Marshall Thundering Herd football team.