1. (a) At the direction of the Equine Medical Director, the stewards or the official veterinarian, a veterinarian licensed by the Board or a registered veterinary technician licensed by the Board may collect blood sample(s) from a horse for the purpose of testing for total carbon dioxide (TCO₂) concentrations. Such blood sample(s) shall be collected under the provisions of Rule 1859 of this article, and may be collected pre-race or post-race.

   1. (1) The owner or trainer of a horse selected for testing may request that a duplicate sample be taken. Such request shall be made prior to the collection of the official sample. The costs related to obtaining, handling, shipping and analyzing the duplicate sample shall be the responsibility of the owner or trainer who requested such sample.
   2. (2) If the Board in its discretion determines the duplicate sample cannot be analyzed within five days after the sample is collected, the findings of the official sample shall be final.
2. (b) Any horse on a facility under the jurisdiction of the Board may be selected by the Equine Medical Director, the stewards or the official veterinarian for TCO₂ testing.
3. (c) Any owner, trainer, or other person responsible for a horse, who refuses or fails to permit the taking of test sample(s) from such horse shall be deemed in violation of Rule 1930 of this division and shall have the horse declared ineligible to race by the stewards.

4. (d) TCO₂ levels in the blood serum or plasma shall not exceed:

   1. (1) 37.0 millimoles per liter of serum or plasma.
   2. (2) TCO₂ levels in excess of 37.0 millimoles shall be considered a Class three-medication violation for administrative purposes.
5. (e) The provisions of Rule 1859.25 of this article shall not apply to blood sample(s) collected for TCO₂ testings.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 19420, 19440, 19580 and 19582.5, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 19581 and 19582, Business and Professions Code.

History

1. New section filed 9-13-2005 as an emergency pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 19577(a); operative 9-13-2005 (Register 2005, No. 37). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 1-11-2006 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.

2. Certificate of Compliance as to 9-13-2005 order transmitted to OAL 1-10-2006 and filed 1-20-2006 (Register 2006, No. 3).

3. Amendment of subsections (a) and (b)-(c) filed 1-27-2010; operative 2-26-2010 (Register 2010, No. 5).