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Turfway Park: Four Horsemen Fined Over Protective Claim

Four horsemen at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. have been fined for their roles in a protective claim scheme involving the 5-year-old gelding Unite The Masses, reports bloodhorse.com. Rules in the state prohibit claiming your own horse, that horse remaining in the same stable or being managed by the owner or trainer from whom it was claimed, and entering into an agreement to “protect” the horse in a claiming race.

Running for trainer Karyn Wittek and owner Brendon Cohen, Unite The Masses dropped in class from running for an $8,000 tag in January to running for $5,000 on Feb. 6 at Turfway, resulting in a 3 1/4 length victory. The 5-year-old gelding was claimed from the February race by Amalio Garcia as both owner and trainer, and returned to win for Garcia under the $8,000 tag on March 4.

However, officials discovered that Unite The Masses had remained in the possession of his original connections after the Feb. 6 claim.

“We had a lot of honest confessions. Everybody was very forthcoming with what had happened,” chief steward Barbara Borden told bloodhorse.com.

Cohen and Wittek have been re-established as the gelding's owner and trainer, respectively, while each was fined $2,000. In addition, Garcia and exercise rider Crystal Carmen (Garcia's fiancé) were fined $1,000 apiece.

Gosden Feels ‘Let Down’ By BHA After Positive Test Leads To Disqualification

British trainer John Gosden is feeling let down by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) after his disqualification from the Group 2 British Champions Long Distance Cup in October. The BHA ordered the disqualification following the discovery of the anti-inflammatory Triamcinolone Acetonide (TCA) in a pre-race sample of Royal Line, according to the Racing Post, which led to the horse being stripped of his third place finish in the race.

There is a mandatory 14-day stand-down period for TCA, but the BHA has warned that that stand-down period may be shorter than the actual withdrawal period. Gosden's Royal Line received 15 milligrams of Adcortyl, containing TCA, in both hind fetlocks to reduce inflammation 17 days prior to the race, which was confirmed by vet reports. Gosden accepted the results of the positive test, but wanted to make it clear there was no foul play involved.

“I'm very conservative with my use of any medication and the horse's welfare is paramount,” Gosden told racingpost.com. “I followed all guidelines and advice and the negative publicity from this matter reflects badly on the trainer, the highly respected Newmarket Equine Hospital practice and inevitably damages the image of racing. I feel exceptionally let down by this process.”

Gosden proposed that the BHA give more help on the matter and attempt to educate other horsemen to avoid more situations such as this one. He was fined £1,000 (about US$1,200) and his horse was disqualified.

New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Laws Strengthened; Horses Offered Additional Protection

New Zealand has passed new regulations in an effort to strengthen the country's animal welfare system. These regulations cover a variety of animals and procedures, as well as denote who can perform surgical procedures and under what circumstances.

Equine castrations may only be done by a veterinarian or a veterinary student under direct supervision of a vet, and the horse must be given pain medication. Failure to comply can result in fines up to $5,000.

Striking a horse on its head is a new offense that carries a fine of up to $1,500. Failure to provide a horse that is tied with food, water, shade and shelter from extreme weather conditions can carry a fine of up to $900. Any equipment that injures the horse, or prevents it from eating or drinking, is now also a punishable offense.

These regulations become law in August, but will not be enforced until May 9, 2021. Some offenses carry fines and possible convictions. In instances where the horses are severely impacted, prosecution would fall under the Animal Welfare Act, which carries more substantial penalties.

Bills Protecting OTTBs Move Forward In NY

Two bills are being discussed in New York that deal with the treatment of racehorses when they retire from the track. One bill in the Democratic-controlled Senate would ban the slaughter of retired racehorses. The other bill, in the Democratic-controlled Assembly, seeks a mechanism to track New York-bred racehorses when they retire, reports Blood-Horse.

Which bill, if either, is approved remains to be seen.

The bill in the Assembly would see the creation of a new, seven-member state commission that would oversee the whereabouts of retired Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses in New York. The bill does not ban the slaughter of retired racehorses.

The bill in the Senate explicitly bans the slaughter of racehorses and racehorse-breeding stock. If passed, the bill would make it illegal to kill retired racehorses “for a commercial purpose” in New York. Any money collected from civil penalties would be funneled into retired racehorse aftercare programs. It also allows New York residents to make voluntary donations to aftercare programs through state income tax filings. Additionally, the bill requires the microchipping of all racehorses so they can be more easily tracked.