The first several case resolutions have been publicized by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), the enforcement arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).
Trainer Douglas Nunn's early admission and acceptance of consequences led to a 30-day suspension and $5,000 fine after his charge Smithwick's Spice raced within the 14-day period after an intra-articular injection (reportedly injected on May 31). Smithwick's Spice was disqualified from a first-place finish in an allowance optional claiming event at Delaware Park on June 9, 2023, and the purse money ($29,250) ordered returned. Nunn was also issued 3 Penalty Points.
Under HISA regulations, trainers are not permitted to order joint injections within 14 days of a race or seven days prior to a timed workout. While trainers face a 60-day suspension for violating the rule, a June 26 operational bulletin from HISA said the trainer penalty would not be enforced until July 15 as it relates to intra-articular injections prior to workouts. The horses, however, would be ineligible to work or race for 30 days.
The trainer penalty is in effect, starting May 22, for racing a horse within 14 days of an IA injection.
Trainer Ricardo Legall's charge Merchants of Cool tested positive for two controlled substances, levamisole and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), in a claiming race at Belmont Park on May 28, 2023. After losing his left hind shoe in the pre-race warmup, Merchants of Cool was removed from the wagering field, ran for purse money only, and finished fifth. After an early admission and acceptance of consequences, HIWU issued Legall a seven-day suspension, $1,500 fine, and a total imposition of 3.5 Penalty Points.
Pending Violations – Controlled Substances
The following cases include pending violations for controlled substances, those that are permitted for therapeutic purposes.
- Trainer Carlos Munoz – Lovielee tested positive for phenylbutazone in a claiming race at Gulfstream Park on June 9, 2023 (finished second).
- Trainer Dennis VanMeter – Templement tested positive for phenylbutazone in an allowance race at Thistledown on June 7, 2023 (finished sixth after clipping heels at the start).
- Trainer Scott Lake – Louella Street tested positive for phenylbutazone in a starter optional claiming race at Parx on June 5, 2023 (finished first).
- Trainer Arnoud Dobber – Fast Fixer tested positive for phenylbutazone in a maiden claiming race at Gulfstream Park on June 2, 2023 (finished first).
- Trainer James Acquilano – Sabreen tested positive for methocarbamol in a claiming race at Finger Lakes on May 31, 2023 (finished second).
- Trainer Sandino Hernandez, Jr. – Jonas' Dream tested positive for naproxen in a maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park on May 25, 2023 (finished first).
- Trainer Wayne Sparling – Banco Medici tested positive for methocarbamol in a maiden claiming race at Finger Lakes on May 24, 2023 (finished first).
Pending Violations – Provisional Suspensions For Banned Substances
- Trainer Milton Pineda – three runners tested positive for the vasodilator diisopropylamine – find more information in this Paulick Report story, including why a supplement may be to blame for the positives
- Big Splash won a $16,000 waiver claiming event at Santa Anita on June 10 Big Splash has since finished third in an allowance optional claiming race at Los Alamitos on June 24.
- Flatterwithjewels finished second in a $12,500 claiming race at Santa Anita on June 9 and was claimed by Flurry Racing Stables and trainer Phil D'Amato. The claim will be voided under HISA rules.
- A third Pineda runner, Bella Renella, won a $20,000 claiming race at Santa Anita on June 2. The 6-year-old mare has since won a starter optional claiming race at Santa Anita on June 18.
- Trainer Reed Saldana – Ice Queen tested positive for the vasodilator diisopropylamine after finishing third in a starter allowance at Santa Anita on June 16 – find more information in this Paulick Report story, including why a supplement may be to blame for the positives
- Dr. Luis Jorge Perez, DVM – possession of levothyroxine
- Trainer Dennis VanMeter – Templement tested positive for isoxsuprine after finishing sixth in an allowance race at Thistledown on June 7, 2023 (see above, horse also returned positive test for controlled substance phenylbutazone)
- Trainer McLean Robertson – Johnny Up tested positive for altrenogest after the gelding won a claiming race at Canterbury Park on June 4, 2023 (find more information in this Paulick Report story)
- Trainer Jeffrey Poole – possession of levothyroxine
- Trainer Jonathan Wong – Heaven and Earth tested positive for metformin after winning a maiden race at Horseshoe Indianapolis on June 1 (Wong told the Paulick Report he has been prescribed metformin, a commonly used prescription drug that treats type 2 diabetes in humans, since last year)
- Trainer John T. Brown – Rollin On Tequila tested positive for isoxsuprine after finishing sixth in a claiming race at Thistledown on May 31, 2023
- Trainer Ray Handal – HIWU has lifted the provisional suspension of trainer Raymond Handal, who was told June 30 a horse in his care tested positive for the banned substance zeranol, but the equine anti-doping notice has not been withdrawn. (Attorney Clark Brewster told the Paulick Report that literature shows mycotoxins found on corn or grain can produce zearalenone. Zeranol is a metabolite of zearalenone.)
- Trainer Mario A. Dominguez – Petulant Delight tested positive for cobalt after winning a claiming race at Parx on May 24, 2023
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