HIWU Provisionally Suspends Parx Trainer Taylor

Pennsylvania-based trainer Joe Taylor has been provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit after two of his runners tested positive for banned substances last month at Parx Racing.

In a public disclosure posted to its website this week, HIWU, the enforcement arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, said the Taylor-trained Classy American  and Cajun Cousin  each tested positive for methylphenidate and clenbuterol. Both horses finished second when the alleged medication violations occurred, with Barbara Geraghty's Classy American competing in a June 20 starter allowance and Lymarie Arroyo's Cajun Cousin in a $10,000 claiming race.

Methylphenidate is often referred to by its brand name Adderall.

Cajun Cousin subsequently won a $10,000 claiming race at Parx July 12 and was listed by Equibase as claimed out of that race by trainer Michael Pino and owner Smart Angle. But according to HISA Rule 2262 (c) (5), a claim shall be voided if "the horse has a positive test for a prohibited substance." The two horses have also been provisionally suspended.

Reached by telephone July 19, Taylor said he believes the two horses were tampered with by an individual or individuals intent on damaging his reputation. He said the infractions come at a difficult time for him as he is in the midst of a divorce.

He said he also had two clenbuterol positives in September in Pennsylvania, and the horses involved in the June cases were stabled in the same stalls in easy-to-access locations—evidence, in his view, of tampering.

"I'm still training—so the people I'm thinking might have done it are probably thinking, 'This guy got away with it,'" Taylor said. "So what do they do this time? They put Adderall in there."

Taylor was cited for an alleged violation of rule 3212—presence of a banned substance and/or its metabolites or markers. The latest disclosures from HIWU are for findings that have not been adjudicated.

Taylor said he planned to have a professional review camera footage of the stalls surrounding where the horses were stabled with hopes of confirming his suspicion of tampering. Absent securing such evidence, Taylor questioned whether he has the means to contest any sanctions issued or recover from a suspension that could last four years and a fine totaling as much as $50,000 (reflecting two violations). 

Methylphenidate is a commonly prescribed drug in humans, used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. As a stimulant, methylphenidate is prohibited in many professional sports and it is banned under HISA rules.

Clenbuterol is a Beta-2 agonist and bronchodilator that can assist horses with respiratory difficulties. There are restrictions on its use due to muscle-development properties.

Taylor said his veterinarian told him four and a half years ago that the drug was "toxic," not a reference to poison but meaning likely to lead to problems, and he had not considered treating his horses with it since. 

HISA also lists clenbuterol as a Class B controlled drug, under the requirement that treated horses be listed on the veterinarian's list of inactive runners for 21 days after their last treatment. "Official Workout and Clearance Testing (blood and urine) required to re-establish eligibility to race," according to HISA controlled medication rules.

Taylor, a winner of 328 races from 2,011 starts in a career that began in 2010, has stable earnings of over $9.7 million. He is 13-for-85 this year with his starters making $365,725.