Drug Testing Delays Mount, States Eye Options
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Delays at the respected Lexington equine drug-testing laboratory LGC have forced two of its biggest customers, the Indiana Horse Racing Commission and Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, to consider other options.
In August, the IHRC announced it had reached an emergency contract with Industrial Laboratories in Denver because LGC had a backlog of samples that required confirmatory testing. IHRC executive director Joe Gorajec said Oct. 14 that commission staff last week picked up dozens of delayed samples from the Lexington lab so that they could be shipped to Industrial Laboratories.
Gorajec said those samples had gone through the initial screening process to sort out samples that need further "confirmatory" testing. For instance a sample that shows a therapeutic substance in the screening process has to be analyzed to determine its level relative to a threshold. A screening that indicates any level of a prohibited substance also requires confirmatory testing.
This confirmatory process is where the Lexington lab, which last year was one of the first two accredited by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, is falling behind. Gorajec said the dozens of Indiana samples that needed confirmatory testing at the Lexington lab have been sent to Denver, where the lab will begin again with the screening process.
A company founded in Great Britain, LGC has testing labs throughout the world. KHRC equine medical director Mary Scollay said Kentucky is pleased with the quality of tests at LGC but the Lexington lab has not reported confirmatory results in a timely manner. She said Kentucky samples dating as far back as June and July have not been reported.
"As you can imagine that's hugely problematic," Scollay said.
Scollay added that the lab has not offered a satisfactory response to the delays, and she will recommend the racing commission accept proposals from other labs, that could include LFC, when the current contract comes to an end Jan. 31.
"It has been my recommendation that we issue an RFP to allow for a competitive process to ensure that our stakeholders are receiving the best testing and the most efficient use of the testing dollar," Scollay said. "Obviously, part of that consideration is prompt delivery on the contractual obligation. I think at this point it's prudent to open the process back up."
Rick Sams, Ph.D., who serves as director of the Lexington lab, was not immediately available for comment on the problems. Delays at the lab have been reported since this summer. In August, the Delaware Horse Racing Commission voted to end its agreement with the Lexington lab and accept proposals for next year.
Indiana will send all samples from its current Standardbred meet at Hoosier Park and its current Quarter Horse meet at Indiana Grand to the Colorado lab and will then make a decision on a lab for next year.