Carlo Fisco | Horse Racing Free Tips

The following press release was issued on Friday, Dec. 10, by Carlo Fisco and Darrell Vienna, attorneys for horse owner Mick Ruis and Ruis Racing, who sued the California Horse Racing Board over the regulatory agency's decision not to file a complaint for a medication violation in the case of 2018 Santa Anita Derby winner Justify. The eventual Triple Crown winner was found to have the prohibited drug scopolamine in his system after a post-race sample was tested, but the board voted in executive session to have the matter dropped, with no complaint filed against trainer Bob Baffert and no consideration of a purse disqualification for Justify.

Ruis Racing owned Bolt d'Oro, the Santa Anita Derby runner-up, who would have been in line for the race's $600,000 first-place purse (he earned $200,000 for second).

Press Release:

This morning, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff overruled the CHRB's attempt to have the purse disqualification matter dismissed involving the horse Justify and allowed the matter to go forward. Ruis Racing LLC has alleged that the CHRB's failure to disqualify Justify from the 2018 Santa Anita Derby after testing positive for a prohibited substance was a violation of its own mandatory rules.

Ruis Racing attorneys Carlo Fisco and Darrell Vienna were encouraged by today's decision and look forward to finally bringing this matter to trial. Carlo Fisco stated: “We have a long way to go but are pleased that the court confirmed our client's undeniable claim in pursuing this case. Today was a technical hurdle introduced by the CHRB in attempt to escape its responsibility for the Justify debacle. We remain confident that the trial on this matter will expose the legal improprieties of the former CHRB Board and its former Equine Medical Director as well as the utter refusal by the CHRB Board of Stewards to correct an obvious injustice.”

Trial is expected to occur in mid-2022.

The post Judge Rules In Favor Of Ruis Racing In Lawsuit Over Justify’s Santa Anita Derby Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The following press release was distributed to media Friday by Darrel Vienna, counsel for owner Mick Ruis:

Mick Ruis announced today that he has reached an agreement in principle with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) regarding a settlement of pending litigation in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The preliminary agreement is intended to resolve claims against the CHRB for failure to hold a purse disqualification hearing related to the 2018 Santa Anita Derby in which the first place finisher, Justify, tested positive for the prohibited substance scopolamine. Members of the CHRB, the state agency charged with regulation of California horse racing, voted in favor of settlement at a recent closed session. Attorneys for the respective parties are finalizing the exact terms of the agreement and expect it to be completed in the coming days.

The agreement would include a provision that the CHRB will file a complaint against the owners of Justify and conduct a purse disqualification hearing. The detection of the prohibited substance scopolamine in the official test collected from Justify following the running of the 2018 Santa Anita Derby was confirmed by a split sample test requested by Justify's connections. CHRB rule 1859.5 requires forfeiture of purse and disqualification of a horse that tests positive for a Class 1 – 3 prohibited substance regardless of the trainer's responsibility.

“I am pleased that the leadership of this newly constituted CHRB appointed by Governor Newsom has taken seriously the Governor's intention to 'hold the group accountable on matters of drugs, safety, and integrity.' It is only fair that the current CHRB voted to finally have a hearing related to the Justify matter. This settlement would be a major step toward restoring public confidence in the CHRB,” said Mick Ruis, the owner of Bolt d'Oro, who finished second in the 2018 Santa Anita Derby.

The prior CHRB departed from its standard procedures when it refused to file a complaint following the split sample confirmation of scopolamine in Justify's official sample. The prior CHRB swept the Justify matter under the rug by dismissing the matter in a closed session in August of 2018 where it remained until Joe Drape uncovered the scandal in an article published in the New York Times in September of 2019.

“This legal action was never just about the purse money, I wanted to stand up for what's right and to make sure that every horseman, from the little guy to Bob Baffert, is treated fairly and equally” Ruis said. “I commend the current CHRB for reviewing this matter and look forward concluding negotiations regarding a public hearing.”

Ruis is represented by attorneys Darrell Vienna and Carlo Fisco.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Mr. Ruis. He is an individual who truly believes and has proven that one man can make a difference,” said Vienna. “We look forward to presenting the agreement with the CHRB to the court so we can resolve the litigation.”

Carlo Fisco added “This decision was a no-brainer for the CHRB,” added Fisco. “It's very encouraging for racing in California to see this new board being able to make the obvious and positive move, a task that the old board found to be, for some unknown reason, too daunting.”

The post CHRB To Hold Hearing On 2018 Justify Scopolamine Positive As Part Of Settlement With Bolt d’Oro Owner appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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