Saldana, Pineda Provisionally Suspended for Substance

California-based trainers Reed Saldana and Milton Pineda were the latest trainers to be provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit for possession of a banned substance and/or its metabolites or markers. Pineda had three horses test positive while Saldana had one, all for the banned substance diisopropylamine, a vasodilator used in the treatment of peripheral and cerebral vascular disorders in horses. The drug is not approved by the FDA. The horses found with diisopropylamine in their system were the Saldana-trained Ice Queen (ran June 16) and Pineda trainees Big Splash (June 10), Flatterwithjewels (June 9), and Bella Renella (June 18). All horses were exiting races at Santa Anita Park. Flatterwithjewels was claimed by trainer Phil D'Amato on behalf of Flurry Racing Stables after finishing second in a $12,500 claiming race but that claim was voided in adherence to the rules of HISA. Both trainers will not be permitted to start horses until the suspension is lifted. On the company's website, the product is described as containing Vitamin B-15, or pangamic acid, which "has been shown to increase oxygen delivery to the muscles, as well as help to use oxygen more efficiently during the oxidation of glucose." According to WebMD.com, There is no standard chemical identity for pangamic acid, so it's not clear how it works. Pangamic acid is also sometimes referred to as vitamin B15. WebMD went on to say, "Humans use pangamic acid for asthma, alcohol use disorder, high cholesterol, athletic performance, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Using pangamic acid may also be unsafe." Clarification: This story was updated July 11, removing an attributed quote on the possible source of the diisopropylamine. The story also was updated to include a definition of pangamic acid from WebMD.com.