Photo Raises Questions About Status Of Suspended Quarter Horse Trainer Ponce

A photograph captured by Track Magazine's Mark Herron after the Grade 1 Refrigerator Stakes at Lone Star Park on Oct. 25 raised questions about the status of suspended trainer Josue Ponce. The image, published in the print edition of the magazine and republished here with permission, shows winner Valiant Tiberias exiting the Grand Prairie, Texas, track's winner's circle after having his picture taken while sporting a lime green shadow roll and a matching black and lime green browband with “Ponce” stitched in the center. Valiant Tiberias ran the race with blinkers, and the browband became visible after their removal.

Ponce is currently serving a 365-day suspension delivered for a clenbuterol positive in Oklahoma this spring. A urine sample from runner Oh Fancy Go came back positive for clenbuterol after the horse won the sixth race at Remington Park April 25. Ponce appealed the summary suspension given to him after the positive without success. According to transcripts of a hearing before the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission earlier this year, his attorney raised doubt about the validity of that positive, arguing that Oh Fancy Go was negative for clenbuterol in pre-race hair testing April 11. His appeal of his summary suspension was denied, and stewards issued a 365-day suspension and a $10,000 fine for the positive.

Ponce has continued to fight the suspension, appealing the stewards' decision to the full commission at last month's meeting. The commission voted to uphold the stewards' ruling.

According to the program, 4-year-old Valiant Tiberias is trained by Alonso Neri. Neri has trained since 2016 but his statistics exploded this year when he went from 17 starters in 2019 to 298 this year, with stable earnings of $1.8 million and a win percentage of 28 percent.

When consulted about the photograph, a spokesman for the Texas Racing Commission would neither confirm nor deny whether an investigation was ongoing into the situation.

Neri is also listed as the trainer for I Am Valiant, winner of the G2 Dash for Cash Derby and Jordan Eagle, winner of the G2 TQHA Classic Stakes – both in 2020. Those two had previously been trained by Ponce.

Valiant Tiberias is owned by Sergio Holguin, Clifton Nielsen, and Felix Rodriguez. He was also the winner of this year's G2 Mr. Jet Moore, as well as last year's G1 Championship at Sunland Park and G3 AQHA Adequan Derby Challenge Championship at Ruidoso Downs.

Ponce was banned by Ruidoso in 2018 after sending out four winners in trial races for that year's All American Quarter Horse Derby. Track officials told the Paulick Report at the time that two of the four horses saddled by Ponce that day were vanned off the track after winning their trials, and the other two were “in distress” and required medical attention. Those horses later recovered.

“The decisions to exclude your further participation from racing at Ruidoso are due to the apparent inhumane treatment of the horses under your care,” read a letter written to Ponce from Jeff True, general manager of All American Ruidoso Downs LLC notifying him of his ban. “Horses under your care demonstrated that they were unfit to complete the race and return to the winners' enclosure reflecting a lack of conditioning or some other mistreatment which puts them and all other horses and jockeys competing with them at risk of catastrophic injury.

“(All American Ruidoso Downs) is taking this action to protect the horses and riders competing at its facility from negligence or mistreatment by trainers, grooms, jockeys, or others on its property or competing in races here. The racing public, track management, and regulatory authorities expect horses to be treated and raced under humane and safe conditions and the performance of your horses on Sunday, August 19th, reflect negligence, a failure to prepare them adequately, or indicate some other improper treatment prior to the races.”

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Delaware Stewards Suspend Trainer Gaffney Through Remainder Of The Year For Numerous Rule Violations

Stewards in Delaware have suspended trainer Hubert Gaffney through the end of 2020 and issued a $2,500 for conduct detrimental to racing last week. The Aug. 31 ruling cites a long list of Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission rules Gaffney allegedly violated, including entering/aiding in the entry of ineligible horses, assuming responsibility for horses not in a trainer's own active care, conduct/utterance which adversely affects public confidence in racing.

According to the ruling, Gaffney's license had been granted conditionally due to a prior violation.

“Mr. Gaffney will no longer be entitled to a license at Delaware Park,” the ruling read. “Hubert Gaffney is denied access to all grounds under the jurisdiction of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission.”

Sarah Crane, investigator and acting executive director for the commission, indicated Gaffney is appealing the ruling and therefore the commission could provide no additional details about the source of the alleged rule violations.

As reported here on Aug. 20, Gaffney's name came up in the course of an investigation by the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) as its officials examined the activities of Wayne Potts. MJC determined Gaffney had been serving as a program trainer for Potts at several tracks where Potts was not permitted to participate.

The complete ruling is available here.

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