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Weekly Rulings: Mar. 8-14

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.
Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

CALIFORNIA

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 03/11/2022
Licensee: Donald Palmer, owner
Penalty: Suspended license
Violation: Failure to appear at hearing
Explainer: Owner Donald Palmer (DBA: Live Your Dream Racing), having failed to respond to written notice to appear before the Board of Stewards at Santa Anita Park on March 10, 2022, is suspended for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1547 (Failure to Appear) pending an appearance at a hearing before the Board of Stewards to answer to charges alleging violation of CHRB rule #1876 (Financial Responsibility- $2,000.93 to DVM John Araujo). Suspension to commence on March 18, 2022. During the term of this suspension, all licenses and license privileges of Donald Palmer are suspended and pursuit to California Horse Racing Board rule #1528 (Jurisdiction of Stewards), subject is denied access to all premises in this jurisdiction.

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 03/12/2022
Licensee: Kyle Frey, jockey
Penalty: Four-day suspension
Explainer: Jockey Kyle Frey who rode MAGNIFICENT RIDE in the second race at Santa Anita Park on March 11, 2022, is suspended for FOUR (4) racing days (March 19, 20, 25 and 26, 2022) for failure to maintain a straight course in the backstretch and causing interference, which resulted in the disqualification of his mount from second to fifth place. This constitutes a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules-Careless Riding). Pursuant to California Horse Racing Board rule #1766 (Designated Races), the term of suspension shall not prohibit participation in designated races.

KENTUCKY

Track: Turfway Park (for a medication violation that occurred at Churchill Downs)
Date: 03/12/2022
Licensee: Grant Forster, trainer
Penalty: 30-day suspension (15-days stayed) and $500 fine
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: Upon receipt of notification from Industrial Laboratories, the official testing laboratory for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, and confirmed at Analytical Forensic Testing Laboratory, sample number E491165 taken from Epicurean, who finished sixth in the seventh race at Churchill Downs on November 26, 2021 contained Gabapentin in blood (Class 8). After waiving his right to a formal hearing before the Board of Stewards, Grant T. Forster is hereby suspended 30 days and fined $500. Due to mitigating circumstances (number of violations in relation to overall record), 15 days are to be served from March 28, 2022 through April 11, 2022 (inclusive). The remaining 15 days are stayed on the condition that no Class A or class 8 medication violation occurs in any racing jurisdiction within 365 days from the date of this ruling. EPICUREAN is disqualified and all purse money forfeited. Pari-mutuel wagering is not affected by this ruling. During his suspension, Mr. Forster is denied the privileges of all facilities under the jurisdiction of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Entry of all horses owned or trained by Mr. Forster is denied pending transfer to persons acceptable to the stewards. Upon receipt of this ruling, it is required within thirty (30) days to pay any and all fines imposed to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Failure to do so will subject the licensee to summary suspension of license pursuant to 810 KAR 3:020 Section 15 (cc).

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Pirate’s Punch Returns To Face Ny Traffic In Saturday’s Salvator Mile

Pirate's Punch and Ny Traffic took turns with impressive performances a year ago at Monmouth Park. Now they'll match their considerable talents in the same race at the track.

Pirate's Punch, idle since the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 7, and Ny Traffic, who made his return to racing on May 2, top a field of 10 for the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile, the headliner on Monmouth Park's Saturday card.

When last seen at Monmouth Park, Pirate's Punch won the Salvator Mile in 2020 – a race after being disqualified from a victory in the Grade 3 Iselin Stakes. Ny Traffic was second in last year's Grade 1 TVG.com Haskell Stakes, beaten a nose by 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic.

Rounding out the Salvator Mile field are Bal Harbour, Basin, Croatian, Galerio, Green Light Go, Informative, War Stopper and West Will Power.

A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred, Pirate's Punch needed surgery to remove a chip from one of his knees shortly after the Breeders' Cup, with trainer Grant Forster now eager to get him started on his 2021 campaign.

“After his surgery we took our time with him and did the proper rehab. Hopefully we have a foundation in him,” said Forster. “He's doing fantastic. He seems like he's a bigger, stronger horse this year.

“Since we put him back in training he hasn't missed a day of training, hasn't missed a work, hasn't missed a gallop. He has been ultra-consistent and we think we have him ready to run and ready to get back in the game and get going.”

The 4-year-old Ny Traffic, in his first race since the Preakness Stakes on Oct. 3, impressed in his 2021 debut, blazing to a 6¾-length victory in an allowance optional claimer at Belmont Park on May 2.

“He came back in a big way. He won emphatically,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “We were hoping he would win but we never envisioned he would run like that in his first race back after seven months off.

“It's a long year and he has a lot in front of him. We're hoping this race can be a building block for the year.”

Ny Traffic, a son of Cross Traffic-Mamie Reilly by Graeme Hall, has a 3-3-2 line from 12 career starts, with lifetime earnings of $612,220. Despite that, he has yet to win a graded stakes race.

“He came close (in last year's) Haskell,” said Joseph. “He definitely has a graded stakes win in him. Hopefully it's this year – and maybe this weekend.”

Ny Traffic is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley.

Pirate's Punch, a son of of Shanghai Bobby-Catch the Moon by Malibu Moon, sports a 5-3-4 line from 18 career starts with $332,751 in earnings. He is owned by Gulliver Racing LLC, Craig W. Drager and Dan Lehan.

Saturday marks the 74th running of the Salvator Mile.

The post Pirate’s Punch Returns To Face Ny Traffic In Saturday’s Salvator Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents The News Minute: Vekoma’s Out, But The Devil’s All In On Pirate’s Punch

Saturday's $2-million, Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint lost Vekoma, the morning-line favorite, after trainer George Weaver reported the son of Candy Ride spiked a fever on Tuesday night and was treated with antibiotics. Vekoma won the G2 Blue Grass Stakes as a 3-year-old in 2019 and is unbeaten in three starts in 2020, with wins in the G1 Carter and G1 Met Mile Handicaps, but he'll be forced to miss the big show on Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Grant Forster appears to be having fun with the 666 saddle towel number assigned to his first Breeders' Cup starter, $1-million, G1 Dirt Mile contender Pirate's Punch, suggesting the son of Shanghai Bobby is “the devil's choice” in the race.

And can Chad Brown add to his record of 15 Breeders' Cup world championship race wins (second only to D. Wayne Lukas) in the Juvenile Turf on the Future Stars Friday program? Ray Paulick seems to think so.

Watch the Breeders' Cup News Minute to find out why.

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents The News Minute: Vekoma’s Out, But The Devil’s All In On Pirate’s Punch appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Glad To Be In It’: Forster Excited For First Breeders’ Cup With Dirt Mile Hopeful Pirate’s Punch

Nestled five miles from Churchill Downs, trainer Grant Forster is eagerly preparing for the biggest race of his career at Trackside Louisville where Gulliver Racing, Craig Drager and Dan Legan's five-time winner Pirate's Punch will tackle a likely full field of competitors in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (Grade I) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

“Sort of like every horse trainer, I'm just holding my breath until we get there,” Forster said. “It's been a great ride so far with this horse and the (Dirt Mile) is shaping up to be a really competitive. It'll be a tough field but we're glad to be in it.”

Pirate's Punch had a unique two-race stand over the summer when Forster shipped the Shanghai Bobby gelding to Monmouth Park to compete in the $200,000 Philip Iselin Stakes (GIII) and one month later returned for the $155,000 Salvator Mile (GIII). In the Philip Iselin, the gutsy Pirate's Punch finished a half-length in front of Warrior's Charge but was subsequently disqualified and placed second following a stewards' inquiry and objection lodged by the runner-up finisher's jockey Paco Lopez.

Forster would return to Monmouth for redemption in the Salvator Mile where Pirate's Punch scored a convincing two-length score and sealed his likely starting gate position in the Dirt Mile.

In the Breeders' Cup, East Coast-based jockey Jorge Vargas Jr., who rode Pirate's Punch in each of his two starts at Monmouth, will ship to Kentucky to ride in the Breeders' Cup. The 26-year-old Vargas, whose grandfather and father both trained horses in his native Puerto Rico, is named to ride Shimmering (IRE) for trainer Graham Motion on Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

“He's rode Pirate's Punch perfectly in his last two starts, so why not continue to use him for the Breeders' Cup,” Forster said. “He's coming to Kentucky early and hopes to ride a few at Churchill before the Breeders' Cup.”

Starting on Friday, there will be a special training period from 7:30-7:45 a.m. for Breeders' Cup contenders. The special training session is scheduled to run through Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The post ‘Glad To Be In It’: Forster Excited For First Breeders’ Cup With Dirt Mile Hopeful Pirate’s Punch appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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