The formal hearing of the California Veterinary Medical Board's petition for the interim suspension of California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) equine medical director Jeff Blea's medical license occurred on Friday, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News. Judge Nana Chin now has 30 days to issue a ruling.
Blea is facing eight causes for discipline, according to formal “accusation” documents issued in late December. Blea's veterinary license was suspended at an emergency meeting held on Christmas Eve. He has not been operating his racetrack practice since taking the job of equine medical director last summer.
Blea has been placed on administrative leave and has also been removed from his role overseeing the investigation into the death of Bob Baffert-trained Medina Spirit, who dropped dead after completing a workout at Santa Anita. The equine medical director is not responsible for actually performing necropsies or testing biological samples on horses who die in racing or training in California or elsewhere. Those responsibilities go to veterinary pathologists and toxicologists — in California, those duties are contracted to UC-Davis, though some samples have been shipped outside California in this particular case. The equine medical director would be responsible for gathering reports and interpreting them for presentation to the board and to the public.
Deputy attorney general Elaine Yan, representing the medical board, argued Friday that the allegations against Blea are violations of the veterinary medical practice act.
Meanwhile, Blea's attorney George Wallace argued that the allegations against the veterinarian do not meet the “extraordinary standard” generally required for the suspension of a veterinary license.
“You've had drunken veterinarians. You've had substance abusing veterinarians who you would not trust in a surgical suite. You have had grossly incompetent veterinarians who keep messing up even after the accusations have been filed,” said Wallace.
“In none of those cases has the veterinary medical board sought in interim suspension order. Dr. Blea is apparently the most dangerous veterinarian in existence in California, and the board has not articulated an actual present remotely likely danger that is posed by letting this disciplinary process go through the process of hearing the merits and a determination.”
Earlier this week, Dr. Gregory Ferraro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, called the recent investigation and action by the Veterinary Medical Board to temporarily suspend Blea's license an “unwarranted and unfair vendetta” that is “ill-advised and slanderous.” Ferraro said Blea has become a “pawn in a politically driven effort” to hurt horse racing in California. As a result of Blea having to be put on administrative leave from his post with the CHRB, Ferraro added, “the health and safety of racehorses are being compromised.”
Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.
The post Hearing: Blea’s Attorney Says Allegations Do Not Meet ‘Extraordinary Standard’ For License Suspension appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
