In February of 2014, Viagra found a new, and definitely not approved, use in New Mexico. It certainly shook up the horse racing community.
Quarter horse expert, John Stinebaugh, has been a horse trainer for years. He began at a young age, has won many races, and is well-known in the field. But now he finds himself saddled with a hefty suspension and non-trivial monetary losses because race horses in his care tested positive for the drug, sildenafil.
Sildenafil is the main ingredient in Viagra.
Why was an erection health medication for humans found in the bloodstream of horses? That’s what the New Mexico Racing Commission would like to know.
How Viagra Performs in the Body
Sildenafil wasn’t originally an erection health medication, either. It was developed as a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension. This condition causes blood pressure increases in the pulmonary artery, vein, or capillaries.
Sildenafil is a vasodilator that relaxes blood vessel walls, which can reduce the effects of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
During early clinical trials, men noticed a rather surprising side effect — a boost in erections. And thus Viagra was born.
The use of Viagra in horses isn’t common, but human athletes have certainly experimented with it as a different sort of performance enhancer. The New York Daily News reports that Roger Clemens and many other athletes have used Viagra recreationally, since it isn’t banned by Major League Baseball.
Reported benefits of what they call “Vitamin V” include better endurance, and increased oxygen delivery to muscle tissue. In horses, the performance benefits would presumably be similar.
Four Horses, One Drug, and Years of Trouble
John Stinebaugh, a well-respected race horse trainer, was suspended Valentine’s week, and the suspension will last 16 years, according to Mike Brunker for NBC News . That’s pretty stout. The reason was because three, and then one more, of Stinebaugh’s horses tested positive for sildenafil.
My Dancing Angel, Bikini Bombshell, and Dynasty Edition all tested positive on July 5, 2013, after racing trials. The next day, PJ Chick in Black also tested positive.
Like the Racing Commission, you might wonder why a horse would have sildenafil in its system. The reason might have been performance enhancement, and not the kind of enhancement that Viagra is most famous for.
As a vasodilator, this drug could, at least theoretically, give a horse an unfair advantage over others on the track.
As expected, Stinebaugh had something to say about the suspension, which is actually one suspension for each occurrence, running consecutively. Brunker says Stinebaugh explained that the source of the drug was found to be an anti-bleeding paste given to horses at the track. The paste should not have contained sildenafil, he said, but it apparently did.
The Man Behind the Controversy
In August of 2013, shortly after his horses tested positive for sildenafil, a story about Stinebaugh ran in the Ruidoso News. This story paints a picture of a man who has pulled himself up by the bootstraps from difficult beginnings.
This story, written by Mike Curran, begins with an example of what it means to be a man with a personal code of ethics. He then shows John Stinebaugh as a prime example of what it means to be that kind of man.
Raised in a family of East Texas prairie bootleggers, Stinebaugh is not ashamed of that fact. His grandfather died in prison for bootlegging, and his father then turned his attention to horses.
Stinebaugh began his equine career as a jockey, then found some trouble and spent time in a correctional facility. But he’s been straight as an arrow since 1986.
He later worked as an assistant trainer to the respected Blaine Schwanavelt, and then struck out on his own in 1994.
By all accounts, Stinebaugh appears to be a man who knows hard work, and knows horses. He has won a lot of races since his first win in 1998, but that’s all in jeopardy now. He has the opportunity to appeal the suspension.
New Mexico Racing Commission Regulations
The New Mexico Racing Commission has a lot to say about what is, and is not, acceptable in race horses. As you might imagine, performance-enhancing drugs are not on the all-clear list.
Section 15.2.6.9 of the Racing Commission Rules and Regulations is labeled, “Medications and Prohibited Substances.” This section lists three classes of substances that are either not allowed, or only allowed under special situations and below certain concentrations.
Class 1 covers opiates, amphetamines, and similar drugs. Class 2 lists stimulants or depressants, and other drugs with the potential to alter the horse’s state of consciousness. Class 3 is for drugs that can alter the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and autonomic nervous systems. Class 4 lists milder medications such as pain relievers, and Class 5 deals with drugs that have “localized action” such as anti-ulcer medications.
Under Class 3 (d), vasodilators and hypotensive agents are prohibited. Sildenafil falls into Class 3, for purposes of equine veterinary care. The Racing Commission says, “They all have the potential of affecting the performance of a race horse.”
Section 15.2.6.11 explains Trainer Responsibility. In part, it states that the trainer is responsible for the horses he enters in a race, and is therefore responsible if a horse tests positive for a prohibited drug. It goes on to say, “A positive test for a prohibited drug, medication or substance, including permitted medication in excess of the maximum allowable level, as reported by a Commission- approved laboratory, is prima facie evidence of a violation of this rule.”
Finally, the Commission says unless there is substantial evidence otherwise, the blame lies solely with the trainer.
Sanctions Come Down for Stinebaugh
The Rules and Regulations also list penalties for rule violations. These range from a written warning to years of suspension plus fines and forfeitures.
The Racing Commission’s Sunland Park board of stewards held a hearing, and afterward issued sanctions against Stinebaugh. He has been suspended from racing for 16 years, and has been fined $40,000. Additionally, he must forfeit $8,000 of winnings.
These sanctions were the result of a “worst of the worst” situation. Sildenafil is a Class 3 drug, and violations involving a Class 3 drug carry the toughest Class A penalties, according to Charles D. Brunt for Albuquerque Journal News.
It remains to be seen, whether Stinebaugh will appeal the Racing Commission’s decision.
Sildenafil might have been introduced to the medication paste mistakenly, accidentally, or otherwise. If Stinebaugh appeals, this information will likely be examined.
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