Stewards clear trainers Arnold, Sharp from Class 2 drug positive

Trainers Rusty Arnold and Joe Sharp had penalties rescinded from Kentucky stewards following concerns from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission regarding the validity of positive test results for the feed additive ractopamine nearly 18 months ago, according to the Daily Racing Form. 

The positives for both trainers resulted from the 2016 Kentucky Downs meet. Arnold was to be suspended 90 days for two ractopamine positives and Sharp was to serve a 30-day suspension for one positive. 

Arnold planned to appeal the suspension, saying he had never given ractopamine, considered a Class 2 drug, to his horses and that the positives were caused by environmental contamination.

“I’m very relieved that I’ve gotten this off my shoulders,” Arnold told the DRF. “It’s been trying. But in the end the commission did the right thing.”

“I’ve got nothing but respect for the people on the racing commission,” Arnold added. “I wish the system wasn’t broken a little bit and that my name got dragged through the mud.”

The racing commission’s executive director, Marc Guilfoil said ractopamine was not found in the original samples, but tests indicated metabolites of the additive. Under Kentucky rules, the amount was not enough to be classified as a positive. Guilfoil also told the DRF the commission talked with Dr. Rick Sams, the director of the state testing laboratory, Monday and decided to rescind the penalties. Guilfoil said Sams did not feel the positives would hold up in court.

Guilfoil apologized to Arnold and Sharp on Wednesday morning.

“Part of [the phone call] was that I wanted to apologize,” Guilfoil told the DRF, “and part of it was that if they wanted to jump on me a little bit, here’s the opportunity.”