Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 61DER17-1 - Emergency Rule relating to Chapter 61D-6.005 F.A.C., Procedures for Collecting Samples from Racing Animals
(1) Any
horse the stewards, division, or track veterinarian of the meet designate,
shall be sent immediately after the race to the detention enclosure for
examination by the authorized representative of the division and for the taking
of urine, blood or other such samples as shall be directed for the monitoring
and detection of both permissible and impermissible substances. Blood specimens
shall be taken only by a Florida licensed veterinarian (division or track) and
witnessed by the horse's trainer of record, owner, or designee. Said
veterinarian should attempt to attain up to six full 15-milliliter blood tubes
from each horse sampled.
(2) Any
racing greyhound the judges, division, or track veterinarian of the meet
designate, shall be sent immediately prior to the race to the detention
enclosure for examination by the authorized representative of the division for
the taking of urine or other such samples as shall be directed for the
monitoring and detection of both permissible and impermissible
substances.
(3) The owner, trainer
of record, groom, or other authorized person is permitted to witness when
urine, blood or other specimens are taken from their horse. Each specimen shall
be collected in a closed blood tube or urine container, assigned a sample
number which is affixed to the specimen container, and the correspondingly
numbered information portion of the sample tag shall be detached and may be
signed by the owner, trainer, groom, or the authorized person if they choose to
do so. The veterinary assistant shall accompany the state veterinarian during
blood collection to ensure the veterinarian is taking blood from the correct
horse. The veterinarian or veterinarian assistant shall record the time at
which blood is collected from each animal. Failure of an owner, trainer of
record or other authorized person to witness and/or sign the sample tag shall
not preclude the division from proceeding with sample analysis. No horse shall
be left unattended in the detention enclosure by the owner, trainer of record,
groom, or authorized person. Said specimens shall be maintained in such a
manner as to preserve the integrity of the specimen. Specimen containers shall
be of the disposable type and shall not be reused.
(4) Once collected, the blood tubes shall be
allowed to rest undisturbed for at least 30 minutes. After resting, serum shall
be separated from the blood through the process of spinning the blood tubes in
a centrifuge. Spinning shall be performed for no less than ten minutes at 2,800
rpm. The veterinarian or veterinarian assistant must stand with the centrifuge
at the start of the spin to ensure the centrifuge is balanced. The veterinarian
or veterinarian assistant shall record the times when the centrifuge process
begins.
(5) After centrifuging, the
serum in the blood tubes shall be poured into a tube suitable for freezing and
shipping. If multiple blood tubes exist with the same sample number, they will
be combined into a single tube suitable for freezing and shipping. At least two
people, including the one doing the pour, must be present to witness the pour.
The time the pour is performed shall be recorded. The owner, trainer of record,
groom, or other authorized person is permitted to witness when serum is poured
from the blood tubes to the tube suitable for freezing and shipping.
(6) The tube, containing the serum specimen
shall be closed and sealed. The sealing process is complete after a sample
number, that corresponds to the original sample number used for collection, and
tamper proof evidence tape, are affixed to the tube.
(7) Sealed serum specimens shall be stored in
a freezer until they are shipped to the testing laboratory.
(8) The owner, trainer of record, or other
authorized person is permitted to witness when urine or other specimens are
taken from their greyhound. Each specimen shall be collected in a closed blood
tube or urine container, assigned a sample number which is affixed to the
specimen container, and the correspondingly numbered information portion of the
sample tag shall be detached and signed by the owner, trainer of record, groom
or the authorized person if they choose to do so. Failure of an owner, trainer
of record or other authorized person to witness and/or sign the sample tag
shall not preclude the division from proceeding with sample analysis. Said
specimens shall be maintained in such a manner as to preserve the integrity of
the specimen. Specimen containers shall be of the disposable type and shall not
be reused.
(9) Only those persons
stated in subsections (3) and (4) of this rule who are currently licensed by
the division shall be admitted at any time to the detention enclosure, except
the division staff immediately in charge of such work, the stewards or judges,
or such other persons as authorized by the director, division official, or the
division veterinarian.
(10) If
representatives of the division are unable to collect a urine specimen from a
horse which has remained in the detention enclosure for up to ninety minutes,
they shall have the option to accompany the horse to its own barn for
additional attempts at collecting a specimen. The owner, trainer of record,
groom, or other authorized person shall accompany the horse and division
personnel to its barn and shall remain with the horse until a specimen is
collected, and is permitted to accompany the division personnel and specimen
back to the detention enclosure for sealing of the specimen
container(s).
(11) The division
veterinarian or division investigator is authorized to confiscate any legend or
proprietary drugs, medications, unlabeled medication, medication with altered
labels, medicinal compounds (natural or synthetic) or other materials which are
found in the stable area, kennel compound or elsewhere on race tracks, or in
the possession of any person participating in or connected with racing,
including veterinarians and trainers, and which are suspected of containing
improper legend or proprietary drugs, medications, medicinal compounds (natural
or synthetic) or other materials which are illegal or impermissible under these
rules. Such legend or proprietary drugs, medications, unlabeled medication,
medication with altered labels, medicinal compounds (natural or synthetic) or
other materials shall be delivered to the laboratory under contract with the
division for analysis.
(12) The
division may confiscate any evidence that an illegal or impermissible legend or
proprietary drug, medication, or medicinal compound (natural or synthetic) may
have been administered to a racing animal.
(13) Any licensee who threatens to or
interferes with, or fails to allow the taking of urine, blood or other
specimens authorized by Chapter 550, F.S., is subject to any disciplinary
action authorized by Chapter 550, F.S., or the rules promulgated
thereunder.
Notes
Rulemaking Authority 120.80(4)(a), 550.0251(3), 550.2415(12), (13) FS. Law Implemented 120.80(4)(a), 550.0251, 550.1155, 550.2415 FS.
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.