Guanabenz is an antihypertensive drug – used to treat high blood pressure. In horseracing, it is a Class B, the second most serious kind. With that in mind, I give you the following recent rulings from the New Mexico Racing Commission:
On Aug 13, trainer Aurelio Valdez’s horse Reining Pesos tested positive for Guanabenz after winning the 2nd race at Albuquerque.
On Aug 13 (yes, same day), trainer Aurelio Valdez’s horse Oh Gollie tested positive for Guanabenz after winning the 5th race at Albuquerque.
On Aug 13 (yes, same day), trainer Aurelio Valdez’s horse Tobleronne tested positive for Guanabenz after finishing 2nd in the 6th race at Albuquerque.
On Aug 13 (yes, same day), trainer Aurelio Valdez’s horse Jes Charge N Go tested positive for Guanabenz after winning the 7th race at Albuquerque.
On Aug 13 (yes, same day), trainer Aurelio Valdez’s horse Mr Racy Perry tested positive for Guanabenz after winning the 10th race at Albuquerque.
On Aug 20, trainer Aurelio Valdez’s horse Deputy’s Echo tested positive for Guanabenz after finishing 2nd in the 4th race at Albuquerque.
On Aug 20 (yes, same day), trainer Aurelio Valdez’s horse El Tarasco 727 tested positive for Guanabenz after finishing 6th in the 6th race at Albuquerque.
On Aug 26, trainer Aurelio Valdez’s horse Royal Queen tested positive for Guanabenz after finishing 3rd in the 1st race at Albuquerque.
To recap: Aurelio Valdez doped eight different horses over just three days. Eight horses. Three days. Oh, and then there was this: Valdez went into this flurry of criminality – yes, this is animal cruelty according to NM law: “negligently mistreating…or tormenting an animal” – with two prior Class B’s over the past year and was already suspended till April of next year. Now, it’s September 2038. On the surface, 16 years appears strong, and apologists will argue that this will in effect end his career. But, I must ask: Why just “in effect”? Why will this reprobate even have a chance of training horses again? What exactly does it take for someone to lose his license in this state, in this industry? These questions are, of course, rhetorical.
Well, since you’re talking about freaking New Mexico quarter horse racing, Mr. Valdez is probably more concerned about being tortured and killed by cartel drug lords than any mere, measly racing suspension…
Not for abusing animals, of course. But for getting caught.
Just look at bull fighting and cockfighting – do you really think doping horses even registers on their scale?
shut down horse racing.
each of those horses will die with those drug applications that all hve side effects.
is this trainer an illegal immigfrant – certainly we need to review his criminal activity with drugs. if he came here he should be sent out fo this country permanently for this criminal activity imo
Why in the world would you even ask that? Because his name is Valdez?
If he was an illegal immigrant, he could not be licensed by the New Mexico Racing Commission. As a licensed trainer, he can hypothetically be subject to being suspended. If he actually did get suspended, he could hypothetically go to the unregulated racetracks and dope horses with any drug he wants to use which could hypothetically include illegal street drugs including methamphetamine and cocaine.
If you have 1 let alone 2 or 8 horses in this case test postive for a drug immediately pull that trainers horses from the races. This should have never happened.
Years like this, so many horrific examples like this, and the beat goes on.
There should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the racehorses are there to be used, abused, exploited, poked with needles on a regular basis, doping forced on them like lab rats, mangling, dumping and/or killing them.
Once the 3 year dream is over they all become disposable gambling chips there to squeeze every last drop of sweat, blood and life out of them while they fill the wagering coffers.
Equally horrible, are those racehorses who have more than earned a soft landing only to be continually tormented and forced to run for even more money while getting claimed and reclaimed until they get reclaimed or die.
This is the predominant mentality and modus operandi of horse racing and nothing will ever change this.
This is a shit show conducted at the expense of racehorses and it can’t shut down soon enough for the racehorses, but for those of us who bare witness to the continuous images of racehorses snapping their legs-off and going face down in the dirt.
This is horse racing.