THOROUGHBRED RACING : Board Considers Drug Testing

It’s difficult to upstage a $1-million race, but the California Horse Racing Board may do that when its monthly meeting is held here next Friday, two days before the Pacific Classic.

More trainers may turn out for the board meeting than the $1-million Classic. The reason: Item No. 1 on the agenda, which reads:

“In the matter of the request of Commissioner (Rosemary) Ferraro to discuss the handling of Clenbuterol positive test results.”

Despite four positives at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park for Clenbuterol, an anti-asthma drug with muscle building capabilities, Dennis Hutcheson, executive director of the racing board, dismissed the cases, citing a lack of confidence in testing procedures. Subsequent testing of the horses’ split urine samples also came up positive. This week, Hutcheson second-guessed his actions, while denying Ferraro’s charge that a cover-up had taken place.

Ferraro, who owns horses, has been a board member since 1986. Citing Hutcheson’s lack of experience, she opposed his promotion to executive secretary in 1990, but it was approved by a 5-2 vote. In the Clenbuterol controversy, Ferraro says that she is again part of a minority, although the makeup of the board has changed since Hutcheson was hired.

“What has happened regarding these positives may be illegal,” Ferraro said. “I have recommended action by the board, and I will go forward if they don’t. It would be inappropriate for me to say now what action I have in mind.”

Asked if she might seek Hutcheson’s removal, Ferraro said: “We will see how it goes. But I would not be shy about doing that.”

The other members of the board are Chairman Henry Chavez, William Lansdale, Ralph Scurfield, Donald Valpredo, Stefan Manolakas and George Nicholaw.

Ferraro said the only member of the board who has responded to her investigation of the Clenbuterol matter has been Valpredo, whose father, John, is an owner and breeder in California.

Next Thursday, the day before the board meeting, there will be a meeting of the board’s medication committee, which includes Scurfield, Manolakas and Nicholaw. The committee will consider amending a racing board directive that prevents taking action until split samples for positive tests have been analyzed.

“Why is that even on the agenda?” Ferraro said. “We’ve already got an iron-clad rule in place. If it’s followed, the system works.”

Through the first 19 days of the 43-day Del Mar season, the five leading jockeys were winning an extraordinary percentage of races.

Led by Kent Desormeaux, who had 29 winners, the top five in the standings had won 109 times, or 64% of the races. The jockeys ranking immediately behind Desormeaux were Gary Stevens, Eddie Delahoussaye, Pat Valenzuela and Chris McCarron.

At the end of last season, the top five riders--Valenzeula, Delahoussaye, Corey Nakatani, Laffit Pincay and McCarron--had won 53% of the races, a percentage that is more in line with recent years.

McCarron will be at Saratoga Saturday, to ride Bien Bien in the $1-million Travers, a race he won last year with Corporate Report.

With none of the Triple Crown winners running, the Travers brings together 10 horses still trying to establish reputations.

Alydeed is the 5-2 favorite, but he is a bleeder who can’t have medication because of New York rules.

The second choice, Dixie Brass at 3-1, is a brilliant miler who couldn’t last when asked to run a furlong farther in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga three weeks ago.

Trainer Doug Peterson hasn’t won any races this season at Del Mar, but he is happy to be working.

Before Del Mar opened last month, Peterson and a van driver were loading some horses at Hollywood Park for the trip south. A 2-year-old filly named Summer Playmate kicked them, breaking the driver’s arm and knocking Peterson 20 feet.

“This was a big filly who had been used to the smaller vans, but this big one frightened her,” Peterson said.

Peterson, 40, stands about 6 feet 5. He suffered a bruised heart and a collapsed lung. “The doctors told me that someone a little smaller and a little older might not have survived the blow I took,” Peterson said. “The thing I thought about all through this was that one of (trainer) Thad Ackel’s men died in a similar accident last year.”

Horse Racing Notes

Doug Peterson probably will run Dolly’s Fortune, who has won three of his last four starts, in the $100,000 Pat O’Brien Breeders’ Cup Handicap Sunday at Del Mar. The high weight, at 117 pounds, will be Bruho, who won the stake a year ago. . . . The $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Breeders’ Cup Handicap, at 6 1/2 furlongs Saturday, has drawn 11 fillies and mares, with Devil’s Orchid the high weight at 120 pounds.