The following appeared in the Saturday San Diego Union-Tribune. I haven't seen it reported elsewhere, so I'm passing it along. To me, it's ludicrous that they don't immediately disclose the trainer when a positive occurs.

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DEL MAR REPORT
Inquiry awaits trainer after test

By Ed Zieralski
STAFF WRITER

August 13, 2005

DEL MAR – A member of the committee that reviews total carbon dioxide tests on racehorses to detect illegal milkshaking confirmed yesterday that the committee and the California Horse Racing Board are investigating a trainer who ran a horse at Del Mar on July 31.

Dr. Rick Arthur, a member of the TCO2 Testing Review Committee, refused to identify the trainer and horse involved, or the exact race, but confirmed there is an investigation and said the case was turned over to the CHRB.

"A situation occurred on July 31 at Del Mar that we are investigating, but we will not release the name of the horse and trainer until we conduct a hearing with the trainer," Arthur said. "The situation is related to TCO2 testing, and it was such an unusual incident that we referred it to the California Horse Racing Board to do its own investigation."

Arthur said the hearing with the trainer is Wednesday at Del Mar. TCO2 is the total carbon dioxide in plasma from a blood sample obtained from a horse before a race. It indicates whether the horse was administered an alkalizing agent, called a milkshake, which is illegal. It is believed that the level of TCO2 in the horse involved in the positive test on July 31 was the highest ever recorded in a horse in California, thus the reason it was turned over to the CHRB.

Joe Harper, CEO and general manager of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, said he was unaware of the investigation.

Sources at Del Mar insisted yesterday that the positive test came from a horse in the Grade I, $300,000 Bing Crosby Handicap, run on July 31.