A well-known Florida greyhound trainer had his license suspended after five dogs tested positive for cocaine after a race in January.

  • Dogs taken by state employees following races at Derby Lane
  • Malcolm McAllister has 40-year history in dog racing
  • McAllister claims someone he hired dropped or administered cocaine

Records from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation show that Malcolm McAllister, a 40-year veteran trainer in dog racing, had his license permanently revoked on April 24.

This follows the positive tests on five dogs from Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. The dogs were taken by state employees following races at the facility in January.

In a note sent to the agency that revoked his license, McAllister did not dispute the test findings. Rather, he pointed out that the incidents occurred while he was in the process of hiring a new trainer, and had four different helpers during the period in question.

"One of those undesirables has to have either dropped or administered the cocaine," McAllister said. "It was not me."

Records show that the state's greyhound industry has had 46 positive tests for cocaine since 2008.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.