October 6, 2001: Equine Ecstasy?

BZP made thoroughbred racing history when a horse winning a race at Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts tested positive for the drug. "[BZP] is found on the street and popular with some young adults, but we have never seen it in a horse. We spoke to several other states, and this drug is new to the horse industry," said William Keen, chief steward for the Massachusetts Racing Commission (MRC), according to a story in Standardbred Canada on November 29, 2001. The MRC imposed the maximum penalty under Racing Commissioners International guidelines, which was a $500 fine, loss of purse monies, and 60-day suspension, and notified the state racing commission, which could impose additional penalties. At the hearing, the suspended trainer, Tammi Piermarini, pleaded ignorance. Her husband testified that he bought the drug through a Canadian Web site that claimed it was a bronchodilator, which would...