The H.B.P.A. of Ontario released the following statement regarding products possibly containing capsaicin on November 17th:
Please be advised that the following products are possible to contain a level of capsaicin. The HBPA recommends you do not use any of the following products within 48 hours of your race:
• Bigeloil
• Black Magic liniment
• Cribox (Anti cribbing paste)
• Magic Cushion Extreme (regular Magic Cushion no longer contains capsaicin; however the Extreme does)
Be cautious of purchases from bulk food markets as there can be cross contamination. Also be mindful of ingredients in any creams or liniments and cribbing products.
We continue to work with regulatory bodies to identify products that contain capsaicin as many do not list it as an ingredient.
Be particularly careful using any product within 48 hours of a race.
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Update: The following statement was issued by the HBPA of Ontario to its members on November 18th –
Dear Members:
Please know that we are all in a quandary regarding the recent spate of Capsaicin positives. The HBPA has been fully engaged with both the CPMA and the AGCO, meeting with them constantly while surveying the trainers involved, trying our best to ferret out the source(s) via common denominators. While ZEV was clearly identified as a source early on, it has become clearly obvious that other products also contain Capsaicin. These products do NOT identify Capsaicin as an ingredient on their labels.
The result of these narratives with the CPMA and AGCO resulted in no penalties or fines being levied on the trainers involved and the raising by the CPMA of the level of contamination needed to call a positive. Some trainers with positives have elected to bring legal action to have the positive expunged from their record. We understand how they feel. The HBPA was able to get a note attached to their records absolving the trainers and the positive will not be counted against the trainers’ records. We have been assured the trainers are completely free and able to compete in other jurisdictions. That being said, it does not expunge the positive – it only clarifies it, and the purses remain forfeited.
Previously the HBPA had requested that the CPMA stop calling positives for Capsaicin and continue to investigate through the testing of products and finally identify the source(s) of the contamination. As we have just been made aware of another two positives, we now have taken the further step of writing the Federal Minister of Agriculture and the Attorney General, informing them that many lives and careers are unjustly being jeopardized. We are asking them to intervene immediately and demand that the CPMA cease calling positives on Capsaicin and work with us to determine the sources. We want to reiterate that the trainers are innocent, none of the trainers involved have done anything wrong.
The HBPA will continue to pursue this issue with regulatory bodies to make the necessary changes so that trainers and owners are not fearful of entering their horses.
~ Sue Leslie
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