Le Cornette: Alteño Attributes Positive Test to Contaminated Product

The trainer assured that the Champion Sprinter was not administered any prohibited substances and linked the detected methocarbamol to a contaminated batch of electrolytes. A potential suspension could prevent the short-distance crack from completing his racing career

The provisional suspension handed to Le Cornette (Emmanuel) following his fifth-place finish in the Gran Premio Suipacha (G1) has taken a new turn. Gerardo Alteño, responsible for his training, confirmed to Turf Diario that the horse tested positive for methocarbamol and maintained that the source lies in a contaminated veterinary supplement.

Although the chestnut was officially presented by Francisco Gaim for that effort, Alteño is the one who handles his day-to-day conditioning. As he explained, Le Cornette was not administered any prohibited medication, but did receive a dose of Equisal Electrolitos Pasta which, according to his account, belonged to the batch in which methocarbamol was detected. The trainer noted that he has consulted with veterinarians regarding the case and is working to present evidence to clear up the situation.

The precedent supporting his position is an official communication dated October 9 from VE TEC S.A., the product's manufacturer, which acknowledged cross-contamination in batch 0068. As reported by Turf Diario, a study conducted by the Bioeliga laboratory detected a 0.024 percent concentration of methocarbamol—a substance foreign to the supplement’s declared formula. The firm announced the recall of the batch and offered technical documentation to support legal defenses.

Over recent weeks, an unusual number of positive results involving that active ingredient have been recorded, raising questions about a potential common origin. However, proven contamination in a product does not, on its own, explain every case; each individual file requires establishing which specific batch was administered and whether it aligns with the horse's test analysis.

For Alteño, the situation also carries significant athletic consequences. The campaign plan for Le Cornette called for contesting the Suipacha, continuing on to the Gran Premio Maipú (G1) at Palermo, and taking a final bow in the Gran Premio Félix de Alzaga Unzué (G1) at San Isidro before entering stud duties. According to the trainer's estimates, a two-month suspension—one for the detected substance and another due to the aggravating factor of it occurring in a G1 contest—would rule him out of those final two targeted races.

The trainer recalled that on previous occasions he accepted disciplinary rulings related to therapeutic treatments without dispute. In his view, this episode is fundamentally different, as he attributes the result to an external contamination beyond the declared formulation of the administered product, one that has been officially acknowledged by the manufacturer.

Alteño expressed distress over the predicament facing Le Cornette and explained that he has been in discussions with racetrack officials, holding out hope that the technical documentation will be reviewed before a final decision is made.

For now, the only official action taken regarding the horse remains a provisional suspension. It will be up to the Racing Committee to evaluate the defense, the technical evidence, and the current regulations. Upon that analysis will rest both the disciplinary status of Le Cornette and the possibility of the Champion Sprinter finishing his farewell campaign on the track as his team had originally envisioned.