Lab Testing RFQ 27-002.pdf

RFQ 27-002 / Equine Testing Services 1

Illinois Racing Board

REQUEST FOR QUOTE

RFQ# 27-002 / Equine Testing Services

AGENCY: Illinois Racing Board ADDRESS: 555 W Monroe St, Ste 1700S, Chicago, IL 60661 CONTACT: Melissa Glidden

PHONE: 312-814-5077

FAX: 312-814-5062

EMAIL: Melissa.Glidden@illinois.gov

1. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES: The Illinois Racing Board (“IRB”) must meet its obligation to ensure the integrity of racing, to guard the health of the race horses, and to safeguard the interest of the wagering public and racing participants through the control of all drug substances, medications or other substances that might be administered to the racehorse in violation of 230 ILCS 5/36 of the Illinois Horse Racing Act, and 11 Ill. Admin Code, Section 603 of the IRB Rules (rulebook-aug25.pdf).

Under 230 ILCS 5/9(f), the IRB is vested with the authority to contract with and provide resources to third parties for the purpose of conducting blood, urine and other tests on the horses run or to be run in any horse race meeting.

The IRB is seeking a vendor to conduct analysis of equine blood and urine specimens collected under the jurisdiction of the IRB. The purpose of the analysis is to ensure that no drugs or other exogenous chemical substances prohibited by the IRB have been administered to a horse, nor that drugs or other exogenous substances permitted by the IRB exceed therapeutic threshold levels set by the IRB. See Appendix A for full Scope of Services.

2. VENDOR REQUIREMENTS:

2.1 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Vendor shall ensure that no person shall perform work under this Agreement who, or any member of whose family, is (i) an official of, or has any financial or ownership interest in any licensee or occupation licensee engaged in conducting racing with this State, or (ii) an owner, trainer, jockey, or harness driver of a horse competing at a race meeting under the jurisdiction of IRB. Under this section, "family" shall mean husband, wife, brother, sister, parents, and children. Vendor shall further ensure that any person performing work under this Agreement shall (i) be prohibited from wagering at any pari-mutuel facility, including racetrack, inter track or off-track betting parlor in the state of Illinois and under the jurisdiction of IRB, and (ii) during the performance of this Agreement, provide no contractual services, nor enter into any agreements to provide services to persons or organizations licensed by IRB, without the explicit permission of

IRB.

2.2 LABORATORY PERSONNEL: Vendor agrees to employ a sufficient number of scientists and technicians, with adequate training and experience, to meet the written specifications of this agreement.

2.3 LABORATORY ACCREDITATION: Vendor must maintain ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation of its testing laboratory by American National Standards Insititute National Accreditation Board (ANAB) or another approved accrediting body. Vendor must also be RMTC (Racing Medication & Testing Consortium) accredited.

mailto:Melissa.Glidden@illinois.gov https://irb.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/irb/documents/rulebook-aug25.pdf

RFQ 27-002 / Equine Testing Services 2

2.4 QUALITY ASSURANCE: Vendor shall institute and maintain quality assurance and quality control programs that encompass all aspects of the testing process, including sample acquisition, chain-of-custody, screening and confirming test procedures, reporting results and sample storage. All analytical work shall be performed according to the laboratory’s written standard operating procedures. Vendor’s standard operating procedures shall be continuously reviewed and modified if necessary. Analytical methods will be developed for new drugs and their metabolites, as necessary. Each analytical method will be properly validated prior to every application.

. 2.5 REFEREE LABORATORY: Confirmed positive findings of any prohibited drug or substance or of a prohibited quantity of a drug or substance in a specimen may require that the specimen, or an appropriate sample of it, be forwarded to an independent “referee” laboratory to confirm the findings. IRB agrees to consult with the Vendor in the selection and designation of such “referee” laboratories.

2.6 VENDOR RESPONSIBLE FOR EQUIPMENT: Vendor agrees to acquire and maintain all the necessary laboratory equipment, instruments, and supplies to fulfill the requirements and objectives of the Contract.

Vendor is responsible for all its laboratory and office equipment, whether purchased or leased, including maintenance, operation, calibration, and repairs.

2.7 LABORATORY FACILITY: Vendor agrees to acquire or lease and maintain suitable laboratory space of its own choosing for the delivery of testing services. The laboratory may be required to meet IRB standards, which may include provisions concerning security, size, and limited access.

2.8 CONFIDENTIALITY AND WORK PRODUCT: The Parties agree that all specimen test results will be owned by IRB. Vendor will keep all test results confidential, maintain them in a secure manner, and not reveal them to anyone, except as required by IRB, or by order of an appropriate regulatory or legal authority. Requests for information regarding testing procedures and results for IRB samples from persons outside of the IRB, including subpoenas, shall be forwarded to the IRB Legal and Administrative liaisons. Vendor shall maintain the following records for the indicated periods of time: (i) case books and positive test data, no less than ten years;

and (ii) electronic data from all tests for ten years.

Concurrent with all reports of positive results, vendor shall prepare a package of all data, reports and other documents necessary to establish at an administrative hearing that the Chain of Custody requirements as detailed in Appendix B, Chain of Custody, attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein, have been met, and that the screening and confirmatory testing procedures established the presence of a foreign substance.

2.9 TESTING PROTOCOL: The testing protocol shall be described in Appendix C, attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

3. TERM:

3.1 TERM OF THE CONTRACT: The estimated term of the Contract shall be for a period of two (2) months, from August 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026.

3.2 RENEWAL: The Contract may not be renewed.

RFQ 27-002 / Equine Testing Services 3

4. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: Upon award, the vendor will be required to complete a Contract including all requirements herein and must agree to the State of Illinois Standard Terms & Conditions. They are located in the BidBuy publication and on the CPO’s website at: Standard Terms and Conditions V.23.2

5. PRICING: Please provide quote below and complete the vendor information, then return quote to Agency Buyer. Notes to vendor: All quoted prices shall be valid for 60 days from date of submission. No price increases shall be accepted. Price shall remain firm for the term of the contract.

TABLE 1 – Equine Lab Testing Services for two (2) Months – 8/1/2026-9/30/2026

LINE # DESCRIPTION QUANTITY OF

SPECIMENS

UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE

1 Post-Race Blood and Urine 160

2 Pre-Race TCO2 54

3 Post-Mortem Blood Samples 2

4 Special Exhibit Samples (seized items) 5

GRAND TOTAL

IPG Registration Number: __________________________ Expiration Date: ________________________

VENDOR NAME: _______________________________________________________________________

PRICE(S) QUOTED BY: _______________________________________________________________________

DATE: _______________________________________________________________________

SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________________________________ https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/cpo-general/documents/standard-terms-and-conditions.pdf

RFQ 27-002 / Equine Testing Services 4

APPENDIX A – SCOPE OF SERVICES

1. SCOPE OF SERVICES

Vendor will screen for drugs and exogenous substances in accordance with sections 1.2 through 1.4 below and will develop and maintain the ability to confirm any drug or substance detected through screening for which a scientifically acceptable confirmatory test is available.

1.1 Vendor shall follow the rules and regulations published in the Illinois Register, Illinois Racing Board Notice of Adopted Rules, Part 603: Medication. These rules provide, inter alia, that no horse participating in a race, or entered to participate in a race and not scratched by the day of race, shall carry in its body any foreign, exogenous substance (603.30). A determination by the vendor of the presence of a foreign substance in a test sample, except as provided in Sections 603.60, 603.70 and 603.75, shall constitute prima facie evidence that Section 603.30 has been violated.

Sections 603.60, 603.70 and 603.75 provide exceptions for permitted therapeutic medications, furosemide, and certain potential “environmental contaminants.” By definition, certain concentrations of these excepted substances are permitted. Additionally, for any substance that is not specified in the IRB Rules, the IRB follows the current ARCI medication thresholds (https://arci.com/docs/ARCI-Therapeutic-Medication-Rules-version- 4.2.1Dec2020.docx). Vendor will perform quantitative determinations of these substances and any other substances for which thresholds are established by regulation, in order to comply with threshold rules. The laboratory will report any occurrences of these substances above decision limits.

It is understood that the nature of prohibited and permitted substances, and the permitted concentrations of permitted foreign substances, may change periodically, and that the current Adopted Rules under Part 603 are the operative ones.

1.2 Vendor shall perform the tests on submitted specimens (blood or urine specimens, as appropriate) as noted below. Upon reasonable notice and at no additional cost to vendor, the IRB may require additions, deletions, or changes to testing protocols.

(a) Screening tests for prohibited drugs and substances, and quantitations on permitted medications.

Confirmatory tests will be available in the laboratory for all prohibited substances detected in screening tests. Vendor will screen for all drugs, drug classes, and drug families as specified by the IRB. Screening will be by any scientifically suitable procedure.

(b) Testing referenced under 1.2(a) above encompasses all banned substances, and all permitted substances enumerated in Sections 603.60, 603.70, 603.75 and 603.210.

(c) Blood gas analysis for TCO₂ as requested by the IRB.

(d) Screening for, confirmation as appropriate, and quantitation of confirmed instances as appropriate, of the anabolic steroids testosterone, boldenone, nandrolone, and stanozolol in all serum specimens.

(e) Additional testing as may be required by the IRB.

1.3 Special testing requests will be requested through notification of both the vendor and the Executive

Director of the IRB.

1.4 All specimens submitted for testing will be retained and stored in accordance with Appendix C, attached herein.

https://arci.com/docs/ARCI-Therapeutic-Medication-Rules-version-4.2.1Dec2020.docx https://arci.com/docs/ARCI-Therapeutic-Medication-Rules-version-4.2.1Dec2020.docx

RFQ 27-002 / Equine Testing Services 5

2. TYPES OF SAMPLES

Vendor shall analyze the specimens specified, including but not limited to:

(a) Urine and blood (serum or plasma) collected from animals for various drugs and xenobiotics (603.30, 603.60, 603.70, 603.75, 603.90, 603.210);

(b) Blood for total carbon dioxide (TCO₂) (603.180);

(c) Postmortem blood samples collected by a veterinarian from the carcass (603.150);

(d) Special exhibit items collected or seized at racetracks, such as contents of boxes, drug vials, syringes, feeds, or feed supplements.

3. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES

Vendor shall commence testing within five business days of receipt of a sample. Blood samples requiring TCO₂ testing will be tested within five calendar days of the race date. Urine or blood specimens shall be screened using scientifically appropriate screening assays and methodologies. Vendor agrees to devise scientifically sound methods for instrumental screening assays to reduce overall testing costs. All presumptive positive samples will be confirmed for drugs and known cross-reacting compounds using appropriate extraction procedures followed by GC-MS or LC-MS analysis.

4. REPORTING

All analytical findings shall be reported pursuant to Sections 603.130 and 603.140 of the Illinois Register, Illinois Racing Board Notice of Adopted Rules, Part 603: Medication. Vendor shall report positive test results of listed substances within 21 business days of receipt of a sample. If additional time is needed, vendor must notify the IRB Legal and Administrative liaisons. Failure to report positive results or failure to preserve a referee sample in accordance with Section 603.120 shall result in vendor being liable for an amount equal to the fine that would have otherwise been collected by the IRB, not to exceed $5,000 per impacted ruling.

5. EXPERT TESTIMONY

Vendor shall make available its Laboratory Director and/or technical personnel to provide expert testimony at administrative or legislative hearings, Director’s Review conferences, legal proceedings, and other meetings as reasonably required, at no additional cost to the IRB.

RFQ 27-002 / Equine Testing Services 6

APPENDIX B - CHAIN OF CUSTODY

1. CHAIN OF CUSTODY

Vendor shall conform to national standards of chain of custody for forensic toxicology and forensic science laboratories. Chain of custody procedures shall be maintained throughout the testing sequence. Chain of custody will identify each person having physical possession of the sample, providing testing of the sample, and having responsibility for the storage of the sample, and will provide sufficient documentation to establish that each sample was resealed after each opening and stored in such a manner as to prevent tampering.

2. SAMPLE SHIPPING

Vendor shall establish and conform to custody procedures and expenses for sample shipping. At minimum, the shipping container shall be insulated, secured and contain a numbered security seal that is affixed and recorded at the racetrack prior to shipment and removed and recorded by Vendor upon receipt of the container. Vendor shall provide a separate, secured receiving room containing a refrigerator for placement and storage of sample containers at a maximum of 4 degrees C and maintain a delivery log for all samples received.

3. SAMPLE VERIFICATION

Vendor shall establish and maintain procedures to verify that the contents of a shipment have remained secure throughout the delivery process. Verification shall include procedures for documenting technician information, track and race date information, the date and time of sample delivery, I.D. number of the shipping container, I.D. number of the security seal, the number and type of samples received in the shipment, the condition of the samples and their security seals, and any additional miscellaneous information that may be provided by the IRB track personnel.

RFQ 27-002 / Equine Testing Services 7

APPENDIX C - TESTING PROTOCOL

1. IRB shall have all specimens collected and labeled prior to transportation to the vendor.

2. Vendor shall arrange to have at each racetrack tamper-proof evidence specimen containers for the collection of urine sample and serum separator and plasma separator blood tubes, needles and seals for collection of blood samples. Vendor shall also furnish all disposable specimen collection supplies, such as disposable gloves, plastic liners for jars, shipping containers, ice packs, and tamper-evident shipper seals. The specimen containers, blood tubes and seals shall be approved by IRB. Vendor need not provide equipment (e.g. centrifuges) for use at the tracks.

3. Vendor shall ship all containers and supplies to each racetrack and provide delivery of samples to vendor by a courier service approved by IRB. Samples shall be delivered to the laboratory by a licensed & insured courier within 96 hours of the end of the race day in which they are collected. The samples will be stored under lock and key at the tracks until pickup.

4. Vendor shall conform to IRB chain of custody procedures, and chain-of-custody procedures must be maintained throughout the testing sequence. (Appendix B)

5. Vendor shall maintain a secure area in which to store all specimens in the following manner:

(a) All samples shall be stored at 4 degrees C until initial assessment has been completed;

(b) All samples for which a negative test result has been obtained shall be stored in a frozen state for a minimum of 30 days post-race date; thereafter, they may be destroyed pursuant to Vendor's discretion;

and,

(c) All samples for which a positive test report has been obtained shall be stored in a frozen state until the later of (i) all legal issues have been resolved, and (ii) a minimum of one year from the positive test report date. Vendor will provide the IRB Executive Director or designee a disposal request form for approval, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, prior to destruction of any positive test report specimen.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, vendor will not unreasonably withhold granting any IRB written request for vendor to retain specific specimens for additional testing.

6. Vendor shall secure the testing laboratory by restricting access to persons employed in the lab, project supervisors, authorized students, other scientists or guests authorized and monitored by the vendor, members of law enforcement or regulatory bodies, and authorized IRB personnel or individuals authorized by the IRB. The laboratory will have and maintain a security system.

7. Vendor shall not release, or grant access to, any test specimens in its custody unless for purposes specifically authorized by IRB (that could include, but are not limited to, further testing at other laboratories) or as required by law or appropriate regulatory bodies.