Gluck Foundation to Develop Equine Biological Passport

The Gluck Equine Research Foundation at the University of Kentucky is developing an equine biological passport which aims to identify specific biomarkers that will detect drug use by monitoring changes to peptides and protein abundance, and monitor those biomarkers over time.

In a July 20 release, the Gluck Research Foundation said the goals of the program are to elevate equine research at the University of Kentucky, to serve as a platform to impact policy change and drug testing protocol, and further understand the impact of drugs and medications on Thoroughbred racehorses.

"In the last few years we have seen too many negative headlines around equine drug use. As a research scientist, with 30 years of regulatory drug testing experience, my team and I know this is a problem we cannot currently solve," said Dr. Scott Stanley, professor of Equine Pharmacology and Toxicology and director of the Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory. "We know that it takes time to develop new tests for each new emerging drug, so we will always be behind. We know that each horse metabolizes drugs at a different rate, making standard clearance and withdrawal times confusing. In addition, we know that there are environmental factors, human interactions, and hundreds of other variables that can impact our current drug testing procedures.

"The EBP program is a tool that will enable us to rapidly identify new drugs and measure the physiological effect on the equine athlete," Stanley continued. "These data will be critical in differentiating between intentional doping and accidental contaminants, which can smear the industry image and damage reputations."

The equine biological passport program is an evolving research program designed to expand and to be flexible enough to address new challenges, such as bio-therapeutics, the release stated. Over the next several years, Gluck will continue to validate and refine the EBP program to position it as a future tool for the industry. In addition, it will provide scientific data needed to support changes in rules and regulations that will allow prosecution of violators and prevent "at risk" horses from entering in competitions.

The program will receive funding from Stonestreet Farm.

"At Stonestreet we are proud of our integrity, our commitment to a level playing field, and our focus on the health of the horse above all else," said Stonestreet Farm's Barbara Banke. "An equine biological passport will give us a comprehensive program that provides full transparency for both competition and out-of-competition testing, for every stakeholder. We will contribute $100,000 toward this project and I encourage all stakeholders to consider a tax-deductible gift as an investment in the future of the racing industry."