New York has a new withdrawal-time rule in place for clenbuterol, the bronchodilator that aids in breathing and also provides some steroidal-like properties that aid in muscle gain. It’s 14 days withdrawal now, and here’s the memo. However, on the website of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board (RWB), the withdrawal time hasn’t been updated from its original 96-hours out—which it was before it went to 21 days and then to 14. Here’s what it says on its site under ”Article 2: Rules of Racing” under item “4043.2 Restricted use of drugs, medication and substances”:
(g) The following substances are permitted to be administered by any means until 96 hours before the scheduled post time of the race in which the horse is to compete:
(1) acepromazine;
(2) albuterol;
(3) atropine;
(4) butorphanol;
(5) clenbuterol;
What’s interesting here is that albuterol, a similar bronchodilator to clenbuterol and also a Class 3 drug with Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), is still permitted for usage at 96 hours according to these rules. And albuterol usage was specifically absent in the memo above. Is this a loophole for bypassing the new clenbuterol rule?
We don’t know.
But here’s how the conversation developed on Twitter today:
How would you enforce a 14 day rule anyways, isn’t Clen out of the system in like 4 days?
Albuterol can still be used 96hrs instead of clen. That’s the point of this post; not clen.