Editorial: NM horse doping cases shouldn’t be stuck at gate

It shouldn’t take more than three years for horse doping allegations to either impose discipline against a trainer or be put out to pasture.
Renowned quarter horse trainer Paul C. Jones is appealing a doping charge after a horse he trained won a July 2011 race at Ruidoso Downs and then tested positive for zilpaterol. The fast-acting drug is used to build muscle mass in cattle prior to slaughter, but it is not approved for use in horses, where it can produce symptoms similar to methamphetamine in humans.
And while there is controversy over zilpaterol – California horse racing officials dismissed 48 positive tests for it last year after discovering a number of feed products were contaminated with it, and Jones says he suspects contaminated feed in his case – it doesn’t take a photo finish to figure out tough rules mean nothing if they can’t be applied in a timely manner

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