Horse trainer Natalia Lynch has been handed a significant four-year suspension and a $50,000 fine following a ruling by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU). The penalty stems from violations of two distinct anti-doping regulations: the presence of the banned substance Altrenogest in a horse and the possession of another prohibited drug, Thyro-L. Lynch’s legal team has announced plans to appeal the arbitration decision.
The violations came to light after a post-race drug screening of Motion to Strike, a horse trained by Lynch, tested positive for Altrenogest. This occurred after the gelding competed at Monmouth Park on June 24. Motion to Strike, the favorite in the race, finished fourth, and a subsequent $5,000 claim was voided due to the positive test results.
Altrenogest, known commercially under brand names like Regu-Mate, is a progestogen used in veterinary medicine to manage estrus cycles in female horses and pigs. According to the National Library of Medicine, it is commonly employed to suppress estrus and related behaviors that can impede a female racehorse’s training and performance. The drug is also noted for its structural similarity to anabolic androgenic steroids.
Interestingly, the penalty against Lynch was issued shortly after the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) proposed changes to its Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program. A report highlighted that HISA was considering reclassifying Altrenogest from its current “banned” status to a “controlled substance,” with proposed penalties starting at a $500 fine.
The HIWU arbitrator, Bernetta Bush, a retired judge, detailed in her decision that during an investigation at Belmont on July 20, where Lynch was notified of the Altrenogest adverse analytical finding, a search of the vehicle Lynch was driving uncovered a container of Thyro-L, also a prohibited substance under ADMC rules.
Lynch presented defenses for both violations. Regarding the Altrenogest positive, she contended it was a case of cross-contamination, suggesting that Regu-Mate had been administered to a filly housed in a stall adjacent to Motion to Strike. For the Thyro-L, Lynch stated she had attempted to dispose of the newly banned substance earlier in the spring by giving it to her mother, but it remained in her mother’s vehicle. She explained she was driving her mother’s car on July 20 due to losing the keys to her own vehicle.
However, the arbitrator found these explanations unconvincing. Bush’s ruling stated that Lynch provided only “mere speculation” regarding the source of the Altrenogest. Evidence indicated the filly in question was housed several stalls away and had not been administered Altrenogest for five days prior to the sample collection. The arbitrator emphasized that Altrenogest is orally administered and requires direct ingestion for contamination to occur, noting that the detected amount in the sample was consistent with ingestion within 24 hours.
Bush further critiqued Lynch’s testimony, suggesting misrepresentations and inconsistent statements that diminished her credibility. The ruling concluded that Lynch bore significant fault for the presence of Altrenogest, stating, “This is not a case of simple negligence.” The decision highlighted Lynch’s failure to demonstrate a benign method for the substance entering the horse and her breach of duty to protect the horse from cross-contamination and comply with the rules.
Concerning the Thyro-L possession, Lynch argued it was unintentional and that she was not attempting to cheat, nor had any horses under her care tested positive for the substance. Despite these arguments, the arbitrator found that Lynch failed to meet her burden of proof to escape liability or mitigate the consequences of the unlawful possession.
John Mac Hayes, Lynch’s attorney, has characterized the penalties as “unreasonably harsh.” He argued that the arbitrator improperly discounted expert testimony, disregarded established Federal Rules of Evidence and Civil Procedure in favor of inapplicable international law, and overlooked a previous Regu-Mate positive in another horse from the same barn. Hayes also asserted that Regu-Mate is not a doping agent and that no evidence of doping exists. He further claimed that HIWU’s own expert suggested an investigation into potential links between the two positives from the same barn.
Natalia Lynch, a native of Maryland, began her involvement in racing by galloping horses while enrolled in nursing school. Initially aspiring to be a jockey, she transitioned to training, gaining experience as an assistant to notable trainers before obtaining her own license three years ago. Her career as a licensed trainer began when she was offered the opportunity to train nine horses for Al Gold’s Gold Square, LLC stable.
