Prairie Meadows-based trainer Dick Clark has been provisionally suspended after four of his trainees tested positive for methamphetamine, according to pending violations listed on the public disclosures section of the website for the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), the enforcement arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).
The multiple stakes-winning trainer is also listed with a provisional suspension for the possession of a banned substance, levothyroxine.
Also in this week's edition of the HIWU Weekly Roundup is the implementation of the newly-announced rules that allow trainers to postpone their provisional suspensions for select banned substances until a split sample result can be confirmed. Those postponements can be found below (trainer names are underlined and listed with an asterisk).
Last week's edition of the HIWU Weekly Roundup is available here, and all public disclosures can be found on the HIWU website.
Pending Violations – Provisional Suspensions For Banned Substances
The following cases include pending violations for banned substances, those that are not permitted in horses. New cases are listed in italics at the top of the list, and active suspensions have the trainer's name listed in bold.
Postponed suspensions, those for substances yet to be confirmed by split sample, have the trainer's name underlined and are listed with an asterisk (*).
- Trainer Dick Clark – possession of Levothyroxine, two runners have tested positive for methamphetamine (one horse was positive three times)
- Colonel Klink first tested positive after finishing second in an allowance optional claiming race at Prairie Meadows on June 19. The 7-year-old gelding has since raced three more times, finishing first in a claiming race on July 3, third in a starter allowance on July 9, and second in a claiming race on July 22. He also tested positive on July 3 and 22.
- My Heart's On Fire tested positive after finishing first in a maiden special weight race at Prairie Meadows on June 19.
- Trainer Natalia Lynch – possession of Levothyroxine, and a gelding in her care tested positive for altrenogest.
- Motion to Strike tested positive for altrenogest after the gelding finished fourth in a claiming race at Monmouth Park on June 24. He was claimed from that race by owner/trainer Silvino Ramirez, and has since finished third in a claiming race at Monmouth on July 14. Under HISA rules, the claim will be voided.
- *Trainer Bruno Tessore – Tenebris, a gelding, tested positive for altrenogest on July 18 (no races or workouts listed on that date by Equibase).
- Trainer John Pimental – Golovkin tested positive for methamphetamine after finishing last (sixth) in a claiming race at Monmouth Park on May 29. A claim on the horse was voided from this race.
- Trainer Lorenzo Ruiz – three runners have tested positive for the vasodilator diisopropylamine
- Kant Beat The Rock tested positive after finishing second in a starter allowance race at Los Alamitos on July 4.
- American Cat tested positive after winning a $16,000 claiming race at Los Alamitos on June 25. The 4-year-old gelding has since finished third in an allowance optional claimer at Los Al on July 9.
- Facts Matter tested positive after winning a starter allowance race at Los Alamitos on June 23. The 8-year-old gelding has since finished fifth in a claiming race at Los Al on July 8.
- Ruiz is a multiple stakes-winning Quarter Horse trainer based at Los Al, though he has not started any Quarter Horses since 2022. Since HISA/HIWU have no jurisdiction over Quarter Horse racing, whether or not Ruiz would be able to race Quarter Horses will be up to the state racing commission and/or local racetrack. Ruiz has not started any horses, Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse, since July 9.
- *Trainer David Reid – Maligator tested positive for venlafaxine (an anti-depressant and nerve pain medication) after winning a claiming race at Hawthorne on June 25. The 8-year-old gelding has since finished second in a claiming race at Hawthorne on July 16.
- *Trainer Javier Morzan – Lady Liv tested positive for metformin (a commonly used prescription drug that treats diabetes) after finishing third in a starter optional claiming race at Delaware Park on June 24.
- *Trainer Mary Pirone – Benny The Jet tested positive for altrenogest after the gelding finished fifth in a claiming race at Emerald Downs on June 24. He was claimed from that race and moved to the barn of trainer Jorge Rosales, and has since won a claiming race at Emerald on July 14. Under HISA rules, the claim will be voided.
- Trainer Joseph Taylor – two runners have tested positive for both methylphenidate and clenbuterol
- Classy American finished second in a starter allowance at Parx on June 20
- Cajun Cousin finished second in a claiming race at Parx on June 18. The 4-year-old filly has since won a claiming race at Parx on July 12, prior to the positive being called. Cajun Cousin was claimed out of that race by trainer Michael V. Pino for Smart Angle LLP; the claim will be voided under HISA rules.
- *Trainer Donald H. Buckner – In the Midst tested positive for clenbuterol after finishing fifth in an allowance race at Thistledown on June 15.
- *Trainer Guadalupe Munoz Elizondo – Quinton's Charmer tested positive for metformin, a medication commonly prescribed in humans for type 2 diabetes, on June 11, 2023 (the New Mexico Racing Commission's Izzy Trejo confirmed that the positive test was incurred after a work before the state veterinarian in an attempt to remove Quinton's Charmer from the vet's list).
- Munoz Elizondo is also a multiple graded stakes-winning Quarter Horse trainer. Since HISA/HIWU have no jurisdiction over Quarter Horse racing, Munoz Elizondo will still be able to train and race Quarter Horses in New Mexico. Trejo said that HISA gave guidance last year that jockeys suspended for whip violations on a Thoroughbred could ride in Quarter Horse races, so the NMRC has applied the same logic to a trainer with a HIWU suspension. Thus, Munoz Elizondo is permitted to participate in Quarter Horse races. Trejo added that the commission is pushing for a state rule that will apply reciprocity at the NMRC level for HISA suspensions, but that isn't in place yet.
- Trainer Milton Pineda – four runners have now 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
- Chollima won an $8,000 claiming race at Los Alamitos on June 23, 2023, after which she tested positive, and has since finished second in a $12,500 claiming race
- Big Splash won a $16,000 waiver claiming event at Santa Anita on June 10, after which he tested positive. 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.
- Bella Renella won a $20,000 claiming race at Santa Anita on June 2, after which she tested positive. 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 (violation date June 9)
- 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 Jeffrey Poole – possession of levothyroxine (violation date June 2)
- *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 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.
New Case Resolutions
The following cases have recently been resolved by HIWU, either by early admission and acceptance of consequences (EAAC) or by final decision (FINAL).
- Trainer Nestor Cascallares – Irazu has been disqualified from a first-place finish in a claiming race at Tampa Bay Downs on July 1 after testing positive for phenylbutazone. Purse money was ordered returned, and the claim of Irazu by trainer Douglas Jones was voided. Cascallares was fined $500 and imposed 1.5 Penalty Points (EAAC).
- Trainer Arcadio Lopez – Mo Crazy Blues has been disqualified from a first-place finish in a claiming race at Finger Lakes on June 13 after testing positive for flunixin. Purse money was ordered returned, and Lopez was fined $500 and imposed 1.5 Penalty Points (FINAL).
- Trainer Bernard Dunham – Afandi was disqualified from a second-place finish in an allowance race at Pimlico on June 2 after testing positive for albuterol, and purse money was ordered returned. Dunham will serve a seven-day period of ineligibility, was fined $1,000, and imposed 2 Penalty Points (EAAC).
- Trainer James Acquilano – Sabreen has been disqualified from a second-place finish in a claiming race at Finger Lakes on May 31 after testing positive for methocarbamol. Purse money was ordered returned, and Acquilano was fined $500 and imposed 1.5 Penalty Points (FINAL).
- Trainer Wayne Sparling – Banco Midici has been disqualified from a first-place finish in a maiden claiming race at Finger Lakes on May 24 after testing positive for methocarbamol. Purse money was ordered returned, and Sparling was fined $500 and imposed 1.5 Penalty Points (FINAL).
Pending Violations – Controlled Substances
The following cases include pending violations for controlled substances, those that are permitted for therapeutic purposes (new cases in italics at top of list).
- Trainer William Martin – Alkalinization or use of an alkalinizing agent (TCO2) on Wild Agent prior to his win in a claiming race at Presque Isle Downs on July 3.
- Trainer Samuel Calvario – Griffith Park tested positive for triamcinolone after a work at Pleasanton on June 30.
- Trainer Mario Serey, Jr. – Harper's Do tested positive for phenylbutazone after finishing seventh in a claiming race at Delaware Park on June 28.
- Trainer Tina Chamberlin – Rosebud Ryde tested positive for methocarbamol after a work at Finger Lakes on June 28.
- Trainer Jose Camejo – Fire King tested positive for promazine sulfoxide and methocarbamol after a work at Monmouth Park on June 11.
- Trainer Javier Hernandez – two trainees tested positive for salicylic acid
- Chief Mystique won a claiming race at Belterra Park on June 10
- Fast Fall won a maiden special weight at Belterra on June 10
- Trainer Climaco Galindo-Torres – Delaney's Grace tested positive for salicylic acid after finishing eighth in a maiden claiming race at Belterra Park on June 8. The 3-year-old filly was claimed out of that race for owner/trainer John Howard, and has since finished eighth in a maiden special weight race at Belterra on July 8. That claim will be voided under HISA rules.
- 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). VanMeter is also provisionally suspended as Templement returned a positive test for the banned substance isoxsuprene in the same race.
- 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).
Last week's edition of the HIWU Weekly Roundup is available here, and all public disclosures can be found on the HIWU website.
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