Former champion jockey Joe Mercer dies aged 86
Mercer and the legendary Brigadier Gerard won 17 of their 18 races together. The Bradford-born jockey took part in two of the most significant races in the sport's history in the 1970s.
Month: May 2021
4C Methocarbamol Complaint Issued Against Mandella for Graded Stakes Positive
Trainer Richard Mandella has been summoned to a stewards' hearing to answer a California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) complaint of an over-threshold test finding for methocarbamol, a Class 4 and Penalty Category C skeletal muscle relaxant that turned up in the post-race test of Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) after the multiple graded stakes winner ran third in the GIII San Simeon S. at Santa Anita Mar. 13.
According to the May 7 complaint, split-sample blood testing confirmed the presence of the drug.
Methocarbamol's 4C categorization is on the least-severe side of the scale on the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI).
Mandella, a Hall-of-Fame conditioner who has been training since 1974, shows three low-category medication fines of $500 each in the ARCI's rulings database: One for phenylbutazone and flunixin in 2018 at Santa Anita, one for methocarbamol at Santa Anita in 2011, and one for naproxen at Arlington Park in 2007. Fines for two scopolamine positives in 1994 were rescinded after a lengthy investigation.
In California, a trainer's first violation within a 365-day period for a Category C drug violation can result in a minimum fine of $500 to a maximum fine of $1,000 (absent mitigating circumstances).
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Robin Goodfellow’s Racing Tips: Best bets for Tuesday, May 18
Sportsmail's racing expert Robin Goodfellow dishes out his tips for Tuesday's meetings at Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Brighton, Huntingdon and Hexham.
Rombauer, ‘France’ Ship Safely to Belmont
Classic hero Rombauer (Twirling Candy), who races for John and Diane Fradkin, shipped in to Belmont Park around 10 a.m. Monday ahead of an intended start in the June 5 $1.5-million GI Belmont S. presented by NYRA Bets. The colt earned a 102 Beyer for his GI Preakness S. heroics at Pimlico Saturday for trainer Michael McCarthy. He will be stabled with trainer Jonathan Thomas. Groom Leonel Orantes Aguilar reported that Rombauer had vanned to New York “very well”.
“It seems like he's in good physical shape,” McCarthy said, who is back at his southern California base. “He was pretty bright and alert on Sunday morning. He's a horse that takes very good care of himself, so we sort of read the signs from him and see what he's telling us. From what I can tell, he's no worse for wear.”
Second in the GI American Pharoah S. from four starts as a juvenile, Rombauer captured the Listed El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Feb. 13 before a third in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. in early April.
Reflecting on his colt's win he added, “I got a lot of nice messages from people and there were a lot of people that reached out who I hadn't heard from in quite some time, so it was very nice.”
Also arriving at Belmont on Monday was Yuji Inaida's well-traveled France Go de Ina (Will Take Charge), who will also contest the third jewel of the Triple Crown. The chestnut colt, who was sixth in the G2 UAE Derby in March and seventh in the Preakness S., was accompanied by trainer Hideyuki Mori's traveling assistant Masaki Takano. The dual winner will resume training Friday, May 21.
“He seemed to travel really well, it was a trouble free trip,” said Takano through translator Kate Hunter. “This is a good experience for the horse because the racing here is so different. Over the course of the time that he's been here, he's been able to get used to the American style of doing things. That's helped him relax into the routine and hopefully it will lead to a better performance in the future.
“The extra length of the Belmont, and the experience he's gotten from racing once here already, it's likely we'll have a better chance to perform better based off his pedigree. We're looking forward to giving it another go.”
There is a $1-million bonus for any Japan-based horse who wins the Belmont.
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