‘Princess Secret’ banned from Breeders’ Cup after steroid test

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Breeders’ Cup) – Princess Secret, a two-year-old filly owned and trained by Daniel Pita, will not be permitted to enter the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies after an October 26 blood test administered by the Breeders’ Cup Out-of-Competition Program revealed the presence of Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid that is specifically prohibited by Breeders’ Cup under its condition of entry.

Confirmation analysis was done following the positive screening result.

Any horse testing positive for anabolic steroids or other ARCI prohibited substances in a Breeders’ Cup out-of-competition test sample during the six months prior to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships is ineligible to participate in the Championships.

All out-of-competition samples are sent to the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at the University of California-Davis for testing.

The lab is certified by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and the executive council of the IFHA has also specifically endorsed the testing protocols of the Breeders’ Cup.

“Breeders’ Cup out-of-competition testing is done to the highest world standards and is vital to ensuring the integrity of the World Championships. All horses pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup are subject to our stringent medication and testing protocols and must meet these requirements in order to compete,” said Breeders’ Cup President & CEO Drew Fleming. “Breeders’ Cup will continue its work to ensure the safety and the integrity of our sport, including our strong support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and other progressive reforms for Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. through our involvement in the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition.”