Research Produces Cobalt Test Recommendation

Research into cobalt funded by the United States Trotting Association has resulted in a recommended testing threshold of 70 parts per billion, the organization said Sept. 30.
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Research funded by the United States Trotting Association (USTA) into cobalt has resulted in a regulatory testing threshold of 70 parts per billion, the organization said Sept. 30. The threshold is almost three times higher than the level being used for blood tests in Indiana.

Cobalt is a naturally occurring element in horses and is present in vitamin B-12 and related nutritional supplements. Excessive levels, however, can stimulate production of red blood cells and could impact racehorse performance, officials have said.

The USTA earlier this year contracted with George Maylin, DVM, PhD, of the New York Drug Testing and Research Program at Morrisville State College to determine at what level cobalt ceases being considered a naturally occurring substance and becomes performance-enhancing. His work was assisted by Karyn Malinowski, PhD, and Ken McKeever, MS, PhD, FACSM, director and associate director, respectively, of the Equine Science Center at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Phil Langley, USTA president, in a release said he believes the recommended threshold of 70 parts per billion is "reasonable" and would deter individuals that administer excessive levels of cobalt to racehorses

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Tom LaMarra, a native of New Jersey and graduate of Rutgers University, has been news editor at The Blood-Horse since 1998. After graduation he worked at newspapers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania as an editor and reporter with a focus on municipal government and politics. He also worked at Daily Racing Form and Thoroughbred Times before joining The Blood-Horse. LaMarra, who has lived in Lexington since 1994, has won various writing awards and was recognized with the Old Hilltop Award for outstanding coverage of the horse racing industry. He likes to spend some of his spare time handicapping races.

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