For some time, New Mexico horse racing officials suspected that racehorses in the state were being doped with a new clandestine drug called “frog juice.” The problem was state tests couldn’t detect the exotic drug, which is a potent narcotic called dermorphin said to be more powerful than morphine. Some believe the drug can make a horse run faster. “The drugs that we are talking about here are the worst case,” said Rob Doughty, chairman of the New Mexico Racing Commission. “They are Class A drugs that have no reason to be in a horse. And it’s very serious.” Rumors about dermorphin use became so pronounced that racing officials worried about tarnishing the Ruidoso Futurity, held in June, and the Ruidoso Derby, held in July. Together the two races promised purses of a combined $1.7 million. “When I first heard about it, I was extremely upset,” said R.D. Hubbard, who owns Ruidoso Downs. “I’ve been upset for some time just on the rumors.” So the racing commission laid a trap for the crooks who they suspected of rigging races. The Racing Commission secretly sent urine samples from the time trials held May 25-26 to an out-of-state laboratory with a newly developed test for dermorphin. Two weeks later, the commission had its results: 40 percent of the horses finishing ‘in the money’ in the 25 time trial races on May 25 were illegally drugged...more
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