Memo to: all NY Standardbred horsemen and Veterinarians From: NYSGC Equine
Recently, the New York Drug Testing and Research Program detected the 2 major alkaloids of the Bulbus Fritillaria plant (Peimine (Verticine) and Peiminini (Verticinone) in Standardbred horses racing in New York. Fritillaria herbal feed supplements that contain these alkaloids (e.g. “Open Air,” “Power Pak Nitro,” and “Respi-Free” marketed by MB Mad Barn, USA) have anti-inflammatory, antitussive, and expectorant effects. The efficacy of these alkaloids has been demonstrated scientifically. The safety of these compounds has not been determined in horses. For this reason, and because Fritillaria alkaloids are not listed as a permitted medication in the New York Harness Racing Rules (4120), Fritillaria alkaloids are considered to be performance-enhancing prohibited substances (PED).
Effective October 6, 2023, the prohibition of the use of fritillaria alkaloids in harness horses racing in New York will be enforced with zero tolerance testing.