RICK M. ARTHUR
God I love defense attorneys. They obfuscate as entertainingly as politicians in a debate.
Thursday, Craig Robertson, one of Graham Motion's attorneys, published an Op-Ed article blaming everyone but his client for the methocarbamol positive in Kentucky. I've dealt with close to 100 methocarbamol violations since becoming EMD (equine medial director) in California so I am very familiar with these violations. I also co-chaired the RMTC SAC at the time the 1ng/ml threshold for methocarbamol was recommended. Let me be clear, the threshold was established to allow the administration of methocarbamol by a single IV administration up to 48 hours prior to administration. That was based on data that was subsequently published in a peer reviewed journal (J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Feb; 37 (1):25-34.). If you follow the RMTC recommendation for IV administration of methocarbamol, you will not get a positive for this drug. California has seen a decrease in methocarbamol violations since the NUMP threshold for methocarbamol was adopted. In all those recent cases, through additional laboratory analysis, it was clear the horse was administered oral medication within 48 hours of racing. As with the vast majority of medication violations in racing, these were all administration errors. I don't know Graham Motion, but I have been told by people I highly respect he is very ethical and runs a tight ship. Nor am I familiar with the laboratory analytical details of this case, but Graham Motion would not be the first trainer with a well-run operation to end up with a violation from a medication administration error.
I want to correct one blatant misstatement by Mr. Robertson. I can unequivocally say the RMTC SAC never “unequivocally recommended that the regulatory threshold for Methocarbamol be set at 20 nanograms.” Based on analysis of the data a 24 hour threshold for methocarbamol would be 20ng/ml; the 48 hour threshold is the 1ng/ml. The 48 hour 1ng/ml threshold for methocarbamol in blood is what was sent to the RMTC board by the SAC and is the rule of the game everyone racing in a NUMP state plays by, even well-connected and well-financed trainers.
The real issue is the difference in how methocarbamol violations are handled in California versus Kentucky. In California this would have been a $500 fine for Motion without disqualification or purse redistribution.
Rick M. Arthur, DVM
Equine Medical Director
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of California, Davis
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