Clark Suspended 7 1/2 Years for Equine Drug Violations

Iowa owner-trainer Dick Clark has been sentenced by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit to five 18-month suspensions and five fines of $12,500 for a series of equine drug violations. Two horses he trained tested for the presence of methamphetamine, with one horse cited by HIWU over three dates, and Clark was sanctioned for possession of a banned substance, levothyroxine. 

The punishment handed out by HIWU totals 7 1/2 years of suspensions and $62,500 in fines.

A call and text sent to Clark seeking comment were not immediately returned. The HIWU website classified the ruling as "Admission of EAD Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences."

Clark has the right to file an appeal to an administrative law judge within 30 days but has "admitted to the violations and accepted the consequences," according to HIWU spokesperson Alexa Ravit.

The two horses involved in Clark's sanctions were Colonel Klink  and Kissed a Cadet , both of whom raced this summer at Prairie Meadows.

Clark had been under active provisional suspension since the initial findings were disclosed by HIWU this summer. His suspension related to the resolutions began July 24, according to the HIWU website. 

Colonel Klink and Kissed a Cadet have been disqualified from the races in which they tested positive and have 60-day periods of ineligibility beginning July 24 and Aug. 2, respectively.

Methamphetamine, or "meth," is an illegal stimulant that has contributed to wide-ranging human drug abuse problems. Drugs and medications used by people can increase the possibility of equine drug testing contamination.

Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of thyroxine (levothyroxine sodium), a prescription medication used to treat hypothyroidism. In recent years, regulators have limited the use of the drug in part due to overuse, with some horses having been treated with it that did not exhibit thyroid problems.