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Sadler Fined, Suspended for Medication Violations

In a settlement agreement and mutual release with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), leading California trainer John Sadler has been fined $15,000 and handed a 60-day suspension–45 days of which are stayed–for three medication violations dating from 2019. The suspension runs June 29 through June 13.

As part of the agreement, Sadler has been placed on probation for one year, ending June 28, 2021. If he incurs any medication violations during that period, the 45 days of stayed suspension will be imposed following a noticed hearing.

As first reported in the Paulick Report, the CHRB stewards delivered their ruling Sunday, June 28.

The three violations occurred in April and May of last year. Jasikan (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}), who finished third in the Singletary S. at Santa Anita Apr. 28, and Field Bet (Sidney’s Candy), fifth in a maiden claiming at Santa Anita Apr. 14, both tested positive for gabapentin. Sneem (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), who won a maiden special weight at Golden Gate Fields May 10, tested positive for clenbuterol.

The Association of Racing Commissioners International lists both gabapentin and clenbuterol as Class 3/Penalty B medications.

Sadler finished the recently concluded six-month Santa Anita meet in sixth place on the trainers’ standings, with 18 wins and over $1.7 million in earnings, including the $360,000 that Combatant earned for winning the GI Santa Anita H.

Sadler provided the following statement on the CHRB stewards ruling:

“Trainers are liable for the condition of their horses regardless of the acts of third parties. The imposition of the trainer insurer rule requires only the detection of a prohibited substance in an official sample and identification of the trainer of the horse. The trainer insurer rule is not based on actual administration of a drug or negligent care. Fault is not an element of liability under the trainer insurer rule.

“The incidents covered by the settlement agreement and the penalties imposed under the agreement reflect the fact that these incidents resulted from circumstances beyond my control but which nonetheless are my responsibility. Two of these cases involved the passive transmission by a groom of a medication prescribed for his own medical condition. The other involved detection of a prohibited substance in a horse over which I did not have actual custody or control.

“I want to thank the CHRB for their consideration of the mitigating circumstances underlying these complaints in reaching this agreement. My decision to enter into the settlement agreement was based upon the costs involved in defending against these allegations and recognition of the impact of the trainer insurer rule. Over my 40 years as a trainer, I can unequivocally state that I neither administered nor had knowledge of the administration of any prohibited substance to any of my horses.”

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Sadler Fined $15,000, To Serve 15-Day Suspension For Three 2019 Medication Violations

California Horse Racing Board stewards have fined trainer John Sadler $15,000 and suspended him for 60 days, with 45 days of the ban stayed, for three medication violations in April and May 2019.

The ruling, dated Sunday, was the result of a settlement agreement and mutual release between Sadler and the CHRB that stayed 45 days of the suspension provided he has no additional Class 1, 2 or 3 violations during a probationary year that ends June 28, 2021.

Cited were violations of CHRB Rule 1887 (trainer or owner to insure condition of horse) and 1843 (prohibited drug substances: gabapentin and clenbuterol.

The horses that tested positive were Field Bet, fifth as the favorite in a $50,000 maiden claiming race at Santa Anita on April 14, 2019; Jasikan, third in the $100,000 Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita on April 28, 2019; and Sneem, first in a maiden special weight race at Golden Gate Fields on May 10, 2019.

The ruling does not address whether the horses will be disqualified and any purse money won will be redistributed. All three horses were owned by Hronis Racing LLC.

Gabapentin is commonly used to treat shingles or neurologic conditions in humans, but also as an analgesic for pain management for aging horses or those with laminitis. It is classified as Class 3/Penalty B under Association of Racing Commissioners International guidelines. Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator classified by RCI as Class 3/Penalty B. Since the dates of the violations, the CHRB has further tightened use of clenbuterol in horses.

Sadler issued the following statement about the sanctions:

According to ThoroughbredRulings.com, hese are the first medication violations for Sadler since he was fined $500 for a positive test for the Class 4 muscle relaxant dantrolene on Dec. 1, 2017. Prior to that he was fined in 2013 for a flunixin overage and twice in 2011 for methocarbamol violations.

Sadler's 15-day suspension begins Monday, June 29 and runs through July 13.

A licensed trainer since 1978, Sadler has won 2,551 races from 15,419 starts. His biggest career victory came in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic with Accelerate, who was voted an Eclipse Award as that year's champion older male racing on dirt.

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Kentucky HBPA Requests Judge Alter Ruling In 2-Year-Old Lasix Case

Two weeks after a judge denied a motion for a temporary injunction from the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (KHBPA) to halt Lasix-free 2-year-old racing in the state, the organization is asking him to reconsider. Earlier this month, Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate denied the motion for temporary injunction and also granted a motion to dismiss the case against the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Churchill Downs, and Keeneland for a lack of standing.

Now, the KHBPA's attorneys say, that decision was unfair. Part of Judge Wingate's order focused on the organization's standing, which had been questioned by the defendants just before a hearing in late May. The KHBPA says the judge's order referred to affidavits from KHBPA members which were never intended to address the legal question of standing. The question of standing can include questions about the identity of a party, as well as whether a plaintiff can demonstrate they have suffered an injury as the result of actions by defendants.

In this case, Judge Wingate's order echoed a motion by the defendants, who say the “alleged injury” to KHBPA was speculative and not concrete. He also questioned why the KHBPA did not bring forth the name of an individual owner or trainer claiming to have been injured by the Lasix ban. The KHBPA said that it can do so, and simply wasn't given the opportunity before.

Parties in the case are expected to appear before the court on July 29 to hear arguments surrounding the KHBPA's latest motion. Prior to the June dismissal of the case, The Jockey Club, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and the Breeders' Cup were all permitted to file amicus briefs in support of the defendants in the case.

At a meeting of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission this week, equine medical director Dr. Bruce Howard reported that so far this meet, Churchill Downs has held eleven 2-year-old races without race-day Lasix. Those races have included a total of 107 starters. None of them experienced epistaxis (bleeding from the nostrils), according to the commission's records.

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Violations Show New Medication Rules In California Require A Learning Curve

California now has some of the strictest rules regarding medication in racehorses of any jurisdiction in the United States, and a report on medication violations for April and May show that horsemen and veterinarians are still working to understand newer regulations.

At a meeting of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) conducted via teleconference last week, CHRB equine medical director Dr. Rick Arthur reported that April saw nine medication violations, only one of which was in a post-race sample, while there were six medication violations in May, two of which were in post-race samples.

Three of April's nine violations were from horses working before the state veterinarian, and the other five were out-of-competition samples taken on horses recording workouts.

“Of the nine violations in April, six would not have been violations in other states,” said Arthur. “I suspect two others would not be violations in most states.”

Four of May's six positives were horses working for the official veterinarian. Arthur guessed only one of the six would be a violation outside of California.

In mid-March, new regulations placed restrictions on the use of “local anesthetics, narcotic analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories” on horses within 24 hours of a timed workout, and prohibiting more than one NSAID in a post-work sample. In late February, regulations went into effect prohibiting NSAIDs within 24 hours of post time.

“To my knowledge, California is the only state currently regulating these medications during training,” said Arthur. “I'm usually not sympathetic to trainers and veterinarians not paying attention to our rule changes, but we have made numerous regulatory changes recently and from discussions with trainers and veterinarians, the new rule is not as clear to licensees as I would have hoped or expected. Trainers and veterinarians appear confused between house rules and CHRB regulations.

“The most difficult change has been the new medication regulations during training. Keep in mind, regulating medication during training is a new concept in racing.”

Arthur said he is working with California Thoroughbred Trainers to guide a series of webinars aimed at educating trainers and veterinarians on the new rules. And not a moment too soon — as he pointed out, several more veterinary regulations are set to go into effect July 1, including the transfer of a health record for claimed horses and a prohibition on bisphosphonates.

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