McGaughey Suspended for Medication Violation in Ohio

Following a ruling from the Ohio State Racing Commission, Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey is serving a 15-day suspension from Feb. 6- 20 for a medication violation that occurred at Belterra Casino Resort in Ohio during an allowance optional claiming race September of last year. 

Original reported by the Paulick Report, Phipps Stable's Tactical Affair, a Tapit  filly who broke her maiden Aug. 23 at Belterra, tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide following her win in a Sept. 9 allowance optional claiming race. According to the guidelines set forth by the Association of Racing Commissioners International, hydrochlorothiazide is a Class 4 drug and recommends a B penalty.

The ruling, originally dated Oct. 29, claimed the Ohio State Racing Commission was in receipt of a report from the Department of Agriculture Analytical Laboratory stating that a urine sample taken from Tactical Affair was found to contain Hydrochlorothiazide, which has no "permissible levels" in a post race test. The medication is a diuretic that can be used in animals to treat high blood pressure as well as heart failure, and calcium-containing kidney or bladder stones. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug for use in humans it is not officially approved for use in animals.  

In addition, the ruling stated that the urine sample was also found to contain traces of chloraminophenamide, a sulfonamide that can be used for treating pulmonary hypertension. 

McGaughey was fined $500 for the violation and the filly was disqualified from first to last. The $10,440 winner's share of the purse was also redistributed following the decision. The suspension was originally scheduled to begin Oct. 30 and run through Nov. 13, but was later revised when McGaughey appealed the ruling asking that a split sample be sent to University of Illinois at Chicago Analytical Forensic Testing Laboratory to confirm the test results. 

"In his appeal (McGaughey) wanted a split to make sure that the hydrochlorothiazide was in the sample," said Bill Crawford, executive director of the Ohio State Racing Commission. "Horsemen are allowed to contest that to make sure the results were there and it was confirmed. It just takes time, around six to eight weeks, for the paperwork to come in. He also wanted a DNA test on the horse to make sure the right horse had been tested. That was also confirmed but does take additional time." 

Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Ontario, Canada confirmed the sample belong to Tactical Affair via DNA testing. The appeal was officially dropped Feb. 4. which pushed the new dates of suspension to Feb. 6 - 20. 

McGaughey could not be immediately reached for comment.