Homeboykris, one of the two horses who died on Preakness Day, was running with an elevated level of the anti-inflammatory drug Dexamethasone in his blood, according to a necropsy released today by the Maryland Racing Commission.
But the commission's chief veterinarian, Dr. David Zipf, said the medication violation "would not have contributed to the death" of the horse, said Mike Hopkins, executive director for the racing commission.
Homeboykris won the first race of the day, May 21, only to collapse on his way back to the barn. The 9-year-old gelding died of a heart attack, according to the necropsy, performed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture in Frederick.
Trainer Francis Campitelli was fined $500 for the medication violation.
Homeboykris had the anti-inflammatory in his blood plasma at a level of 30 picograms per milliliter, exceeding the permitted level of 5 picograms per milliliter. Hopkins compared the difference to "a grain of sand in an Olympic-sized swimming pool."
Thomas Bowman, a veterinarian who sits on the commission, agreed that the violation likely did not contribute to the gelding's death. He compared the incident to a 55-year-old person suffering an unexpected heart attack while jogging.
"That would be taken for granted as part of nature's cycle," Bowman said. "Common sense dictates that things of this nature occur."
Campitelli raced Homeboykris at a relatively advanced age, but the horse was running well, having won three of his previous five starts entering Preakness Day. The veterinarian who examined him before his May 21 race found him to be in good condition. He had finished 16th in the Kentucky Derby as a 3-year-old.
By contrast, a report on the other Preakness Day death revealed nothing unusual.
Pramedya broke her left front leg in the fourth race of the day and was euthanized on the track. Her breakdown was particularly eerie because she was owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who also owned Barbaro. He broke his leg in the Preakness 10 years earlier.
The deaths added a somber note to the 141st running of the Preakness, which set records for attendance and betting handle.
They also drew attention from PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, which sent a letter to the racing commission last week urging the release of the necropsies.
"It's vital that these horses are not forgotten _ and that their deaths are investigated and explained," Animal Legal Defense Fund executive director Stephen Wells said in a statement. "Horses used for 'sport,' such as racing, undergo tremendous stress and hardship _ and it's necessary to rule out any type of abuse that may have contributed to their death."
Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer for the Stronach Group, which owns Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, said the sport is moving in the right direction in preventing injuries. But it's natural, he added, to focus on deaths that mar big racing days.
"It's always tough for all of us to take," he said.
