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Diodoro Suspended, Fined For Oaklawn TCO2 Positive

Robertino Diodoro, currently fifth for wins in this year's North American trainer standings, has been suspended 30 days and fined $1,000 after a colt under his care, Aristocracy (Tapit), tested positive for elevated total carbon dioxide (TCO2) in the blood after finishing sixth in the Apr. 22 $200,000 Bath House Row S. at Oaklawn Park.

According to two rulings issued by the Arkansas Racing Commission on Monday, May 15, Aristocracy is disqualified from purse winnings, and Diodoro will have 15 days of his suspension stayed “on the condition that no Class A or Class B medication violations occur in any racing jurisdiction within 365 days from the date of this ruling.”

Aristocracy's sample revealed a TCO2 blood reading of 42.3 mmol/L, a penalty category B violation in Arkansas.

The suspension is to be served Dec. 8, 2023, through December 22, 2023, which coincides with the expected start of the next Oaklawn meet. The current season ended May 6, and Diodoro was the leading trainer in victories and third in earnings.

The rulings stated Diodoro waived his rights to both a stewards' hearing and the appeal of both rulings.

TCO2 testing is designed to deter the practice of “milkshaking,” which involves administering a liquid solution of baking soda via nasogastric tube in an effort to prevent lactic acid buildup and stave off muscular fatigue.

The Paulick Report first reported the penalties, quoting Diodoro as denying Aristocracy was milkshaked. The trainer also said he had no idea how the colt's TCO2 level registered beyond the permitted limit of 37 mmol/L.

Some amount of TCO2 occurs naturally in the blood of horses.

The Bath House Row S. was the 3-year-old's first start for Diodoro and owner Gordon Christoff.

Aristocracy had previously raced for his breeders, Gary and Mary West, under the care of trainer Brad Cox.

His previous race for those connections was a ninth-place try in the John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway Park Mar. 4.

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Cottin Handed 12-Month Ban For Corticosteroid Misuse

French National Hunt trainer and former champion jump jockey David Cottin faces a 12-month suspension as both trainer and owner after failing to observe the correct withdrawal times in the use of corticosteroids on four horses in his stable.

A veterinary officer from France's National Federation of Horseracing carried out an inspection at Cottin's yard in Lamorlaye, near Chantilly, on December 3, which revealed “several violations”, according to a statement released by France Galop on Monday. Of particular concern was the evidence of intra-articular (joint) injections, as well as injections between the vertebrae on four horses. The substance used, the corticosteroid Dexamethasone, has a withdrawal period of 14 days before the treated horse is allowed to resume racing.

The four horses, identified as Matilda Du Berlais (Fr), Duke Chop (Fr), Para (Fr) and Madara (Fr), have all subsequently been disqualified from the contests in which they raced within that 14-day period.

A treble winner of the Cravache d'Or d'obstacle (French champion jump jockeys' title), Cottin retired from race-riding in 2017 at the age of 27. He made a notably successful start to his training career, and enjoyed victory at the Cheltenham Festival in 2020 with Easysland (Fr).

Cottin was one of 21 people arrested from a number of different French stables, along with one person in Spain and another in Italy, in March 2022 in connection with alleged doping offences. He was subsequently released without charge.

Cottin has 14 days in which to lodge an appeal against his suspension.

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Dutrow Relicensed In New York

Richard E. Dutrow, Jr., the GI Kentucky Derby-winning trainer whose history of racing infractions resulted in a 10-year license revocation in New York for a period that recently concluded last month, on Monday was granted a trainer's license by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC).

The announcement was read into the record during the regularly scheduled Feb. 27 NYSGC meeting without commentary by commissioners.

“The former New York State Racing and Wagering Board revoked the Thoroughbred trainer's license of Richard E. Dutrow, Jr., on Oct. 12, 2011, imposing ineligibility to apply for any license for 10 years and [fining] him $50,000,” said NYSGC executive director Robert Williams.

“Mr. Dutrow administratively and judicially contested the penalties [that commenced] Jan. 17, 2013. Having already satisfied his fine, Mr. Dutrow's term of revocation ended on Jan. 17, 2023,” Williams said.

“Mr. Dutrow recently applied for a Thoroughbred trainer's license, which was reviewed by the Bureau of Licensing in consultation with the division of racing,” Williams said.

“Review found that Mr. Dutrow satisfied the penalty imposed by the Racing and Wagering Board, and his record is bereft of transgressions during his period of revocation. Accordingly, the bureau has determined to issue a license to Mr. Dutrow to participate in New York horse racing,” Williams said.

Dutrow spent the better part of several decades appealing medication-related penalties in several jurisdictions, and in 2013 he filed a failed federal lawsuit seeking monetary damages and a reinstatement of his licensure.

According to Equibase, Dutrow's trainees earned more than $87 million between 1979 and 2013. His trainees won multiple graded stakes, including the 2008 Kentucky Derby (Big Brown) and two Breeders' Cup races, and he often topped the trainer standings at New York tracks during the 2000s decade.

Dutrow's rap sheet of racing offenses totals at least 75 infractions spread out over multiple jurisdictions. In addition to his troubles with equine medication violations, his sanctions over the decades include multiple penalties for personal drug use, check forgery, falsified applications, failing to report a criminal conviction, plus various license refusals for “moral turpitude,” “evidence of unfitness,” and attempts to “deceive state racing officials.”

This story will be updated.

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Murphy Opens Up About ‘Many Errors’ After Return Winner

Oisin Murphy made a winning return to race-riding at Chelmsford on Thursday evening, after which he described his actions that led to a 14-month ban for alcohol and Covid breaches as “silly” and admitted to “many, many errors”.

The three-time champion jockey had just the one ride on the card, the Mick Appleby-trained Jupiter Express, and after partnering that horse to victory, he opened up about his time away from the saddle.

He told Racing TV about his behavior that led to a hefty ban, “Realistically, very silly. I made many, many errors that I wish I hadn't done. I've had a period of time to think about that and come back with a different mindset. Hopefully, over the next year and the following years, I can prove the person I'd like to be.”

Murphy credited the support of the Andrew Balding stable and the Qatar Racing team as being a major help to him during his suspension.

He said, “It's been incredible. When you start listing people, you will leave someone out. From my family to the Baldings and all of the Qatar Racing team, I never felt left out.

“I obviously focussed primarily in the first few months [of the ban] on me being sober and well. But from then on, I felt really good and I was able to carry that through for a long time and here is where I wanted to begin my riding career again. There is much to look forward to.”

Murphy had not ridden in public since November 2021 but showed no ring rustiness in driving the quirky but capable Horse Watchers-owned Jupiter Express to a narrow success at odds of 15-8.

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