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‘Miscommunication’: Modern Games Mistakenly Re-Inserted Into Pari-Mutuel Pool For Nearly Seven Minutes After Scratch

The California Horse Racing Board, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, and Breeders' Cup released a joint statement Saturday morning regarding the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf run on Friday at Del Mar. The statement indicates that, contrary to the information relayed by CHRB's executive director Scott Chaney on Friday night, Modern Games was inadvertently re-inserted into the wagering pools for nearly seven minutes prior to the start of the Juvenile Turf.

“The CHRB, Del Mar, and Breeders' Cup officials reviewed the circumstances of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last night and again this morning.

“The CHRB determined that, as discussed in the aftermath of the race, #1 Modern Games was scratched by the stewards on the recommendation of one of the track veterinarians, Dr. Chuck Jenkins, at the starting gate at 17:35:35 PT.

“After additional examination and assessment of Modern Games by the attending veterinary team, track veterinarian Dr. Dana Stead concluded that the horse had not been injured and communicated to the stewards that the horse was cleared to run.

“Due to a miscommunication between the stewards and the Del Mar mutuels department, Modern Games was reinserted into the pari-mutuel wagering pools at 17:37:01 PT.

“At 17:43:49 PT, after it was made clear to the mutuels department that Modern Games was competing for purse money only, the horse was again removed from the wagering pools.

“The race went off at 17:47:34 PT.

“Per CHRB rules, all wagers on #1 Modern Games in the win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, and super high five pools are subject to refund. Daily double and Pick 3 wagers to Modern Games received a consolation payment. Per CHRB rules, in all other multi-leg wagers ending on the 10th race, bettors with tickets including #1 Modern Games and #2 Albahr received the post-time favorite, #3 Dakota Gold, unless they designated an alternate for the race.

“As a result of the review, the CHRB, Del Mar and Breeders' Cup are modifying their injury management communications protocols, so that Dr. Stead will make the final determination with respect to recommended scratches at the starting gate and has sole authority to communicate those recommendations to the stewards.”

The post ‘Miscommunication’: Modern Games Mistakenly Re-Inserted Into Pari-Mutuel Pool For Nearly Seven Minutes After Scratch appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Additional Testing, Surveillance Among Breeders’ Cup’s Health And Safety Protocols

The Breeders' Cup will once again conduct the 2021 World Championships under industry-leading equine safety and integrity protocols. Breeders' Cup always strives to conduct best-in-class racing under the safest possible conditions to the benefit of horses, riders, participants, fans and bettors. Additionally, health and safety protocols will be in place to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 during the World Championships taking place Nov. 5 and 6 at Del Mar.

Additional resources detailing Breeders' Cup's health and safety protocols for the 2021 World Championships can be found here.

EQUINE SAFETY, TESTING AND SECURITY

Breeders' Cup observes the most stringent medication practices and restrictions, pre- and post-race testing protocols, equine security and surveillance measures, veterinary exam requirements, injury management protocols and racing surface testing in the industry.

All Breeders' Cup runners are subject to:

Randomized out-of-competition (OOC) testing, which began around the world in June and concluded on Monday, November 1, resulting in the collection of over 300 blood and hair samples;
Expanded veterinary scrutiny in-stall and during training at Del Mar, Santa Anita and San Luis Rey Training Center;
Mandatory trot up observations of every horse prior to being permitted to enter a racing surface;
Comprehensive veterinary exams including diagnostics, if required, beginning Monday, October 25;
Surveillance following a mandatory equine security check-in on Tuesday, November 2;
An additional round of testing for performance enhancing medications and prohibited substances on all horses entered in a Championship race starting Tuesday, November 2, along with additional randomized onsite testing over the following days for a total of approximately 500 blood, hair and urine samples collected from all Breeders' Cup runners prior to the World Championships; and
Extensive post-race testing of the first four finishers as well as any other runner that did not perform as expected and others designated by the Stewards.

The Breeders' Cup's world-class veterinary team led by Dr. Will Farmer and Dr. Deborah Lamparater will work in conjunction with CHRB Equine Medical Director Dr. Jeff Blea and other official veterinarians to oversee and implement the comprehensive veterinary exam protocols. These include observing all potential Breeders' Cup runners in the stabling area, on the track and in their stalls leading up to the event in addition to a mandatory pre-race evaluation on Tuesday, Nov. 2 to ensure every runner is fit to race.

Moving forward, Breeders' Cup eagerly awaits the full implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in July 2022. The new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority will ensure consistent, transparent and expeditious processes for testing, adjudication and the enforcement of uniform equine safety standards under the oversight of the Federal Trade Commission.

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TRACK SURFACE SAFETY

Breeders' Cup has once again retained world-renowned racing surface experts, including Racetrack Safety Program Director Mick Peterson, Del Mar turf course superintendent Leif Dickinson and Del Mar racetrack superintendent Dennis Moore, to oversee testing and track maintenance in conjunction with Del Mar's expert racing surface team. Together, they will ensure consistency in both surfaces, measuring moisture content and footing across the surfaces and providing participants with real-time updates on track and turf conditions.

COVID-19 MITIGATION

The Breeders' Cup and Del Mar Racetrack have worked closely with local public health officials and infectious disease experts to implement health and safety protocols that will be in place to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 during the World Championships. The health and safety of fans, participants, athletes and the local community is Breeders' Cup's top priority.

Breeders' Cup and Del Mar have consulted with top experts to ensure the protocols in place are effective in mitigating the risk of COVID-19. Breeders' Cup works closely with Dr. Richard Greenberg – former Chief of Infectious Disease of the University of Kentucky and former employee of the Center for Disease Control – and Del Mar has been working closely with its medical advisor – Scripps Health's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ghazala Sharieff – and San Diego County public health officials, including Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten and Chief Resiliency Officer Gary Johnston.

Protocols for attending the 2021 World Championships include:

Unvaccinated individuals must wear face coverings indoors and outdoors when in close proximity to others. Face coverings should fully cover the mouth and nose and fit snugly against the sides of the face so there are no gaps.
Guests entering the facility or placing a bet are to practice physical distancing.
Guests are to refrain from congregating inside the grandstand and follow all posted signage and floor decals as well as any direction from Del Mar Thoroughbred Club & Breeders' Cup staff.
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club & Breeders' Cup staff have implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures throughout the facility.
Hand-sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the grandstand and additional staff will be on-site for cleaning high-touch areas.
Media and guests with tickets located on the 6th Floor (Il Palio Restaurant and Skyroom Suite Dining) will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours.

ABOUT BREEDERS' CUP

Breeders' Cup Limited administers the Breeders' Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred horse racing's year-end Championships, as well as the Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The Breeders' Cup is also a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an organization composed of industry leaders committed to advancing safety measures in Thoroughbred racing and improving the well-being of equine and human athletes.

The 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 Championship races, is scheduled to be held on November 5-6 at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders' Cup press releases appear on the Breeders' Cup website, breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders' Cup on social media.

The post Additional Testing, Surveillance Among Breeders’ Cup’s Health And Safety Protocols appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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O’Neill Hit With CHRB Complaint Over Oral Medication Administration

Trainer Doug O'Neill, who will send two horses to this weekend's Breeders' Cup, has been hit with a complaint requiring him to appear before stewards at Los Alamitos regarding medication administration to a horse in his care.

According to the complaint filed on Oct. 22, investigators received a tip this summer that a horse from O'Neill's barn that had already been entered in a race may have received illegal medication. Investigators at Los Alamitos inspected the barn July 5 and discovered the unidentified horse did not have a sign on its stall door indicating it was running within the next 24 hours.

Assistant trainer Sabas Rivera told investigators he had treated the horse the previous day with oral pastes called Bleeder Shield and Un-Lock, which meant they had been treated within 24 hours of race time.

Un-Lock is marketed as a supplement containing amino acids and electrolytes to reduce muscle fatigue and prevent tying up. Bleeder Shield purports to contain the Chinese herb Yunnan Baiyao to prevent exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Neither product is approved by the Food and Drug Administration because the FDA does not inspect or approve dietary supplements for horses or humans. California rules do allow the administration of oral pastes like these, but not within 24 hours of a race.

The complaint issued Oct. 22 does not constitute a ruling against O'Neill, merely a requirement that a hearing take place. A date was not provided in the complaint for the hearing.

In 2013, O'Neill appeared before California stewards after a barn foreman administered an amino acid paste to runner Cinco de Mario, who was entered to run within 24 hours. Cinco de Mario was subsequently scratched from the race. At the time, O'Neill said the foreman made a mistake and was meant to give the paste to a horse in the next stall who was more than 24 hours out from a race. At the time, the trainer also said he would time the administration of oral supplements like that one 25 to 30 hours out from a horse's race, because he believed they could still be effective in that window without violating the rules. He received a $1,500 fine in that case.

The post O’Neill Hit With CHRB Complaint Over Oral Medication Administration appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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O’Neill Summoned to Explain Substance Administration at Los Al

Two-time GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O'Neill has been summoned to a stewards' hearing to address a California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) complaint that revolves around a potential illegal administration of a substance prior to races four months ago at Los Alamitos Race Course (LARC).

According to an Oct. 22 CHRB complaint, back on July 5, “Investigators received information from Los Alamitos track security steward, Michael Kilpack, regarding seeing someone at trainer Doug O'Neill's barn possibly giving an illegal substance to a horse that had already been entered in a race at LARC.”

The complaint continued: “Investigators conducted a barn inspection at trainer Doug O'Neill's barn…. During the barn inspection, investigators did not observe any pre-race 'Detention Stall Sign' posted on any of the stalls prior to the post time of the race for which the horses were entered.”

Investigators then “interviewed assistant trainer Sabas Rivera, [who] stated he had given 'BleederShield' and 'Un-Lock' to the horses yesterday, which was 24 hours prior to race.”

TDN could not reach O'Neill on Monday to get his side of the story. Darrell Vienna, an attorney who has represented O'Neill in past cases before the CHRB, said via phone that he has not yet had an opportunity to discuss this new complaint with O'Neill.

BleederShield is advertised as a “pre-race or event formula for horses that bleed due to respiratory stress.” According to an online product description, its active ingredient is yunnan baiyao, which is a Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal formula used for wound healing, as a pain reliever, and to stop bleeding in both animals and humans.

Un-Lock is advertised as “a unique combination of muscle-supporting amino acids…plus electrolytes and essential vitamins.”

The substances are non-FDA approved and while it's not illegal to give them to horses in general, it is illegal to administer to a horse within 24 hours of a race.

Two months ago, on Sept. 6, O'Neill got fined $2,000 for a pair of Class 4, Penalty Category C methocarbamol positives at Santa Anita Park from May and June, one in a race and the other in a workout. A 4C categorization represents the least-severe side of the scale on the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

Separately, back in March, O'Neill negotiated a CHRB settlement agreement that included a $7,500 fine and the serving of 10 days of a 30-day suspension over a 2B positive lidocaine test triggered by one of his trainees in October 2020.

Violations of the following CHRB rules are alleged in this latest complaint: Rule 1845(c)2(A) pertains to posting the detention stall signage. Rules 1843.5(a), (c) and (h) deal with the administration of substances after a horse is entered to race. Rule 1887(a) is the “absolute insurer” regulation that dictates a trainer's responsibilities.

The CHRB complaint does not constitute a ruling against O'Neill. It is a “notice to appear” before the Los Alamitos stewards. No date for the hearing was listed on the complaint, which was signed electronically by the CHRB's equine medical director, Jeff Blea, DVM.

The post O’Neill Summoned to Explain Substance Administration at Los Al appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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