Big Brown, Winstrol, and the Triple Crown

As reported yesterday, Big Brown, the dominatrix of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, burned out at the Belmont Stakes in an attempt at horse racing's Triple Crown.  The result of the big horse finishing last, when Brown was all but in the barn as a winner in everyone's mind, astonished the racing world.

We questioned the wisdom of withdrawing Winstrol (stanizolol) before an important race.  Apparently Rick Dutrow, Big Brown's trainer wanted the horse 'clean' at the Belmont  (clean of Winny).

The New York Times gave a mention to Winny:

Worst of all for Big Brown’s connections, perhaps, were the questions about steroids. Dutrow told The New York Times last week that Big Brown had not had his usual shot of the anabolic steroid Winstrol since April 15, enough time for the drug to leave his system.

Was Big Brown’s poor performance because of his lack of “juice?”

“He wasn’t on steroids for the Preakness,” Iavarone said. “There is a million things that could have got him beat. If people are going to say that no Winstrol got him beat, they are going to say that.”

Horse vets say Winstrol is used to increase the horse's appetite.  What happened to all the other effects of AASs?  Forgot?  Effects like gain of muscle mass, up tic in RBC mass, increase of  aggressiveness, and improved recovery from training (in other words, increases the ability of the trainer to push the horse, and to run the horse).

A recent study looked at the pharmacokinetics of stanizolol in horses:

Pharmacokinetics of boldenone and stanozolol and the results of quantification of anabolic and androgenic steroids in race horses and nonrace horses

L. R. SOMA**School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center Campus, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA,C. E. UBOH, F. GUAN, S. MCDONNELL J. PACK
Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics Volume 30 Issue 2 Page 101-108, April 2007

The data showed an interesting absorption of Winny in horse.  Half the drug was elininated in 96 hours, however the level spiked again at 180 hours.  Levels of the steroid were found in the horse after 32 days.

This is interesting because Winny is a water-based AAS which is supposed to be eliminated faster than oil-based steroids like nandrolone.

Another case report documented a 9 year old horse given Winny for 8 years on a monthly basis:

Adrenal insufficiency associated with long-term anabolic steroid administration in a horse.

Dowling PM, Williams MA, Clark TP.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1993 Oct 15;203(8):1166-9.

Adrenal insufficiency was diagnosed in a 9-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding that had received monthly injections of stanozolol for 8 years. After the injections were abruptly discontinued, the horse developed anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, and bilateral forelimb lameness. Secondary hypoadrenocorticism was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, lack of high endogenous plasma ACTH concentration, and lack of cortisol response to administration of ACTH. Because the medical history did not include glucocorticoid administration, the cause was determined to be excessive administration of an anabolic steroid. Treatment consisted of physiologic glucocorticoid replacement for 9 months until adrenal function returned. Findings in this horse indicate that anabolic steroids influence the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in horses.

Very interesting that withdrawal of Winny produced lethargy in this gelding.  Big Brown is not a gelding, nor is he 9 years old, however he was given monthly injections of Winstrol.  He ran well taking the drug, however did not have a finish burst when he didn't take it.

Was Brown suffering from adrenal shutdown as with the above horse?  Was his testosterone level subpar post-Winny withdrawal?  Were there other biochemical changes when the horses endocrine system was tweaked, then withdrawn from an AAS?

Looking at the pharmaceutic data it seem rubbish to say that the horse wasn't on the drug.  His endocrine system was tinkered with by Winny (and who nows what else). Withdrawal of any steroid -- androgenic or glucocorticoid -- produces profound physiological effects.  Like pooping out down the stretch...

Comments

[Smarty Jones]

It was the Winstrol. The owners are trying to shift focus away from steroids that's all. If this horse was given his monthly shot, then we would have had the Triple Crown winner and his name in the history book would have been printed as "Big Brown*". *with the help of winstrol

[Steven A Roman PhD]

Without knowing anything about the details of the Winstrol regimen as applied to Big Brown, your commentary is speculative and its tone unprofessional. I am not defending the use of steroids or any other drug in horse racing. In fact, I am opposed to the presence of any medication in a horse's system on race day and I support a lifetime ban from racing of any of a horse's connections who willfully violate drug rules. That said, I am guessing that what you understand about the sport of horse racing is essentially what you learn from media articles by writers who may know even less. There are many factors that might explain the colt's disappointing performance, none of which are drug related and all of which make far more sense.

[grg]

While what we say can generate disagreement, we don't see it a 'unprofessional' which indicates lies, deceptions, and general debauchery Besides, we aren't paid anyway).

There are 2 quoted studies. Refute them.

[thoro owner]

speculation? hmmm by trainers account winny given 15th of every month=great results winny stopped= poor results. We all know what steriods and other drugs do, they enhance performance. For a short period anyways eventually it ruins a horse to the point of no return and they toss um aside and start again with one of the thousand new prospects from that years crop. The problem is so great that we now breed sires that were nothing but chemical horses. Eventually if you continue to upset natures chemistry and repeatedly tinker it with an outside agent(drugs)and breed a species based on it, you will be left with the sum of that which is rearing itself nowadays in the transgression of percentage of horses with problems. The numbers don't speculate they tell the truth. Racing has always been racing and the factor that was added was the % of drugs and that my friend is your answer. Imagine if two crackheads with bad knees had a baby and that baby was a crackhead with bad knees and bi-polar and it had a baby with anouther crackhead with a bad back and schizophrenia and etc. etc. thats what are racing industry has become the result is horses that only perform when on drugs and they end threir careers crippled by the end of their 3 or 4yo season. Heres a idea if a horse is so inflammed that it needs acth, r.v.i., bute, estarol,steriods, and 15 other meds, maybe just maybe it should have some rest. We should not ban these things but if we use them then the horse should be shelved for certain amount of time based on med and given chance to heal. I don't need a phd behind my name to figure big brown out, unfortunetly its the ones with the phd's that hold this sport back, get that blind eye checked out Roman Phd.