Saratoga winner for Phil Serpe tests positive for clenbuterol

A horse trained by Phil Serpe has tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol, according to the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit.

Fast Kimmie, winner of a $30,000 claiming dirt mile for non-winners of two races on Aug. 10, allegedly tested positive for clenbuterol, according to a finding posted Thursday on the HIWU website. The finding was previously reported by Bill Finley of Thoroughbred Daily News.

Under current rules, Fast Kimmie was banned from racing for 14 months from the date of the violation. Serpe was not suspended pending a request for a test of the B sample, though he could be provisionally suspended for up to two years if that sample comes back positive.

Clenbuterol, a bronchodilator, is approved for the treatment of recurrent airway obstruction. But it is banned in competition, and horses must be on the veterinarian's list for a minimum of 21 days after a treatment. Horses also may not work or race until clenbuterol or its metabolites are not detected.

“I really can't comment on this right now,” Serpe said to Thoroughbred Daily News. “The only thing I can tell you is I do not use and never have used any kind of illegal medication. We certainly haven't used any clenbuterol. I don't even know the last time I saw clenbuterol. We're still in the middle of figuring out what to do.”

Serpe has 1,080 wins from 8,045 starts in a training career that dates to 1984. His most prominent horses over the years include Grade 1 winners Captive Miss, Birdonthewire and Leave No Trace.