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New Jersey Commission Bans Aparna Battula 2 1/2 Years, Issues $7,500 Fine

Trainer Aparna Battula has had her license suspended 2 1/2 years and been fined $7,500 dollars by the New Jersey Racing Commission following a case in which investigators confiscated 83 injectable medication vials and 36 needles from her Monmouth Park tack room on July 29, 2019, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News.

Stewards had originally voted to impose a nine-year suspension with an $18,500 fine, but Battula appealed, and an administrative law judge (ALJ) later recommended a ban of two years with a $6,500 fine.

“Although the final decision accepts most of the ALJ's findings and conclusions, it rejects the ALJ's use of the criminal merger doctrine and her recommended penalties,” said NJRC chair Pamela Clyne at Wednesday's meeting. “The final decision finds that the appropriate penalties for possession of the vials, needles and drugs are a one-year and six-month suspension and a $5,000 fine.

“The final decision also adopts the ALJ's imposition of a one-year suspension and a $2,500 fine for injecting the horse at Monmouth Park in July 2019. Considering the trainer's penalty history, which includes two other drug positives, the final decision concludes that the appropriate penalties in this matter are suspensions totaling two years and six months and fines totaling $7,500. Finally, the final decision also clarifies that the rule prohibits possession of the injectable bottles as well as possession of the prohibited drugs that may be in them.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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CHRB Approves Stricter Penalties For Whip Use, Hopes To Have New Rule In Place For Breeders’ Cup

Hoping to have a new rule in place for the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November, the California Horse Racing Board approved on Wednesday new, stricter penalties to impose on jockeys for excessive whip use, reports the Daily Racing Form.

Since Oct. 1, California jockeys have been limited to six underhanded strikes of the whip, and are allowed two strikes before pausing to allow for a response. Stewards have fined jockeys a total of $28,300 since the new rules were implemented, primarily for using the whip more than six times.

In a unanimous vote, the CHRB approved a rule establishing a minimum fine of $500 and possible three-day suspension for excessive whip use. The current rule calls for a maximum fine of $1,000, along with the possible three-day suspension.

The CHRB's new penalty rule will have a 45-day public comment period before coming back for final approval.

“I think this protects the domestic rider,” said CHRB Chairman Gregory Ferraro. “Our concern had been that riders, particularly from foreign countries, could violate the rule and a $500 fine and three-day suspension would be meaningless to them. This allows for considerably more punishment for egregious violations and makes it more fair to our domestic riding colony.”

“This addresses the concern that I had right along, that has been any excessive whipping and putting in-state riders at a disadvantage,” echoed commissioner Oscar Gonzalez. “I believe this measure addresses any concerns I had. I'm hoping this is something we can adopt and have in place by Breeders' Cup.”

Miller Fined $500 for Class 4 Positive

Trainer Peter Miller, currently third in wins and fourth in earnings at Santa Anita Park, has been fined $500 for a Class 4 finding of isoflupredone that was confirmed via split-sample testing when his trainee, Hembree (Proud Citizen), won the GII Joe Hernandez S. at 5-1 odds Jan. 1.

Isoflupredone is an injectable steroid primarily administered for anti-inflammatory effects. The drug's 4C categorization is on the less-severe side of the scale of the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

According to the California Horse Racing Board rule book, a trainer's first violation within a 365-day period for a Category C drug violation can result in a minimum fine of $500 to a maximum fine of $1,000 (absent mitigating circumstances).

In April 2017, Miller was previously fined $1,000 by the CHRB for an isoflupredone overage.

No disqualification or purse redistribution was listed within the ruling text on the CHRB website.

Hembree, owned by Tom Kagele, subsequently raced Feb. 6 when fifth in the GIII Thunder Road S. at Santa Anita.

It was not immediately clear at deadline for this story if Miller was appealing the fine. The stewards' ruling was dated Apr. 10.

The post Miller Fined $500 for Class 4 Positive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Joel Rosario Fined For Misjudging Finish At Oaklawn

Top jockey Joel Rosario has been fined $200 by stewards at Oaklawn Park after riding “well past the finish wire” on April 10, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News.

Rosario was aboard favorite Rushie in the $400,000 Oaklawn Mile, a one-mile contest over the main track which begins and ends at the sixteenth pole in lieu of the regular finish line. Though Rushie was passed by By My Standards for the victory, Rosario continued to ride his mount another sixteenth of a mile, apparently misjudging the wire.

Gabriel Saez, aboard By My Standards, appeared to speak to Rosario after the wire, with Saez “reaching out left-handed to give Rosario a seemingly friendly post-race tap on the right shoulder.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

The post Joel Rosario Fined For Misjudging Finish At Oaklawn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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