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Ohio Trainer Suspended 365 Days For Class 1 Stimulant Positive

Trainer Alejandro Murillo Rodriguez has been issued a 365-day suspension and $1,000 fine by the Ohio State Racing Commission's Board of Stewards after one of his trainees tested positive for a metabolite of Nikethamide, according to a ruling posting on the Association of Racing Commissioners International website. The stimulant, classified by the ARCI as the highest-level Class 1, penalty A drug, was originally intended for use to treat overdoses of sedatives, especially barbiturates, but it has since been replaced with safer treatments.

Nikethamide is listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a banned substance. Use of Nikethamide, or nicotinic acid diethylamide, was more prevalent in the 1980s. According to the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, it is considered “very dangerous” in horses since there is a possibility of complications that could result in death, but it is believed to have been a widely abused drug in horse racing in the 1960s and '70s because it quickly metabolized and was difficult to detect in post-race testing.

In South America and Europe, Nikethamide is commonly available in lozenge form as a respiratory stimulant. but the RMTC told bloodhorse.com it is not aware of any U.S. company that manufactures or distributes it for human or veterinary use.

Rodriguez's trainee Two Eagles won Thistledown's eighth race, a $7,500 claiming contest, on June 21, 2022. The 6-year-old was claimed out of that race; while the Horseracing Safety and Integrity Authority has instituted a nationwide Voided Claim rule, it did not go into effect until July 1, 2022. Prior to that in Ohio, a horse was considered claimed as soon as it starts the race, regardless of whether it finishes or tests positive for a prohibited substance.

The trainer's one-year suspension is slated to begin on Aug. 18, 2022, and run through Aug. 17, 2023. Two Eagles was ordered unplaced and disqualified from all purse monies. The case was referred to the OSRC for further action.

Rodriguez has appealed the penalty.

According to Equibase, Rodriguez has been training since 2018 and has saddled 109 winners from 587 starters for earnings of $1,741,044.

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Court Of Appeals Gives HISA Partial Stay Of Louisiana Injunction

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and Federal Trade Commission were granted partial stays on Monday by the United States Court of Appeals that will allow the Authority to continue to enforce almost all of its racetrack safety rules in all states conducting interstate wagering on Thoroughbred racing.

The order follows last week's temporary administrative stay.

A panel of three judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, La., ordered the stay of a July 25 injunction from a U.S. District Court judge that would have prohibited the Authority from enforcing its racetrack safety regulations in Louisiana and West Virginia. The lower court ruling was in response to a lawsuit from the two states, their racing commissions, the Jockeys' Guild, Inc., and several horsemen's organizations and individuals who claimed HISA rules were not promulgated in compliance with federal law or went beyond the language in the statute that created HISA.

Specifically, the lawsuit claimed the FTC – which oversees HISA – did not provide sufficient time for public comment before approving certain regulations. The Court of Appeals wrote that the “the stay elements are met with respect to the insufficiency of the 14-day period of notice.”

The suit also claimed HISA regulations go beyond the enabling legislation in certain areas:

-Assessments to the states, which statute says are determined by total starts. HISA adopted a funding formula beneficial to states with lower purses by creating a blended formula that takes into account total starts and total purses. (Rule 8510)

-Definition of covered horses varied slightly between statute and approved HISA regulations. (Rule 2010)

-Investigatory powers in approved HISA regulations also differed from statute regarding search and seizure. (Rule 8400).

The Court of Appeals denied the HISA/FTC request for stays in those specific areas, meaning the funding formula for Louisiana and West Virginia now will be based on total starts and not purses. That may lead to higher assessments for both states.

Elements of the “covered horse” definition cannot be enforced in Louisiana and West Virginia, specifically the provisions saying a horse must be registered by the date of a horse's nomination or entry in a race. Horses will still need to be registered in order to race in all states, including Louisiana and West Virginia.

The current Investigatory Powers regulations may not be enforced in Louisiana or West Virginia, although HISA and the FTC are already in the process of changing those rules to comply with statute.

The Court of Appeals also ordered that the appeal by HISA and the FTC be expedited to a September 2022 oral argument sitting.

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National Audience Helps Push Hambletonian Card Handle Over $7.6 Million

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

The players were out in force on Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands, as the total handle was $7,656,054 on the 16-race program, eclipsing last year's action by more than $1 million. The total handle and the average per race of $478,503 were both by far 2022 bests.

The betting from foreign organizations – such as the PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain of France) and ATG (the Swedish entity) – are unavailable for several days, but these figures are likely to push the grand total handle near or past the $9-million mark, a barrier broken only once in Hambo history, when wagering in 2005 (North American and foreign) totaled $9,015,019.

On Saturday, betting on 11 races bettered the $400,000 mark, while five races saw at least $500,000 pushed through the windows. Wagering on The Hambletonian fell just short of $1 million, as a total of $979,627 was put in play, by far the biggest total for any single race during 2022 at The Big M.

“Our handle being way up today is a combination of hard work and dedication,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “And, obviously, us hooking up with the New York Racing Association team by going on national television through Fox Sports 2 and Fox Sports 1 we think is starting to finally pay off because you are getting a totally different audience with the Thoroughbred players switching over to harness.”

“I am pleasantly surprised at how much our handle was up,” said Settlemoir. “What really shocked me is when I saw the Oaks handle pop up with a total pool of over $855,000. That about knocked me out of my seat. It just goes to show what [President and Chief Executive Officer] Jeff [Gural] and I have said all along that we need to get in front of a national television audience.”

DYNAMIC DUO DOMINANT: Driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke have teamed up to win numerous races throughout the years, so many, in fact, that the potent pair were both enshrined into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame last month in Goshen, New York.

Seemingly to prove that was a good decision, Gingras and Burke capped a big Meadowlands Championship Meeting Saturday by finishing well in front of the field in their respective dash-win categories.

Gingras' 108 victories were 28 more than his closest pursuer, Dexter Dunn. Dunn finished on top in the driver's money-earnings race with $3,026,547. He was followed by Tim Tetrick ($2,587,768) and Gingras ($2,519,432).

Burke students won 68 times, well in front of Jeff Cullipher, whose pupils made 40 winner's circle visits. Burke also won the money title as his horses earned $1,676,709. Tony Alagna was next with $1,476,901.

A LITTLE MORE: A modest carryover led to huge action in the 20-cent Pick-6 that was offered on races one through six. The carryover of $12,120 led to $128,228 in “new money” being poured into the pool, for a grand total of $140,348. … Dunn led the driver colony with three winners on the day. … In addition to his Hambo-Oaks sweep, trainer Jim Campbell also took the Continentalvictory for 3-year-old trotting fillies with Misswalner Fashion to finish with a trainer-colony best three victories on the card. … Live harness racing returns to The Meadowlands on Sept. 1.

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Kent Desormeaux Suspended 60 Days; Could Return In Fall

Jockey Kent Desormeaux, absent from racing since a January domestic abuse arrest in Louisiana, received a 60-day suspension from California Horse Racing Board stewards on Sunday but will have an opportunity to return to the saddle this fall.

The suspension, to run from Aug. 8 through Oct. 6., is for a second disorderly conduct violation that took place at an RV park on the grounds of Del Mar racetrack last Nov. 23. The 52-year-old Desormeaux was also found to be in violation of Rule 1485 (License Subject to Conditions and Agreement) for failing to abide by a written agreement with the Winners Foundation, an organization that assists individuals in racing with addiction or substance abuse issues.

Desormeaux's license had been suspended since March after he failed to appear at a hearing with CHRB stewards on the disorderly conduct charge. That ruling has now been set aside following his meeting with stewards on July 29.

The ruling also states the Hall of Fame rider and three-time Eclipse Award winner “shall sign a testing agreement with the California Horse Racing Board while licensed in California and is ordered to be evaluated by the Winners Foundation and shall abide by the recommendations of that organization. Failure to do so may result in a suspension of his license.”

During the term of his suspension, Desormeaux is denied access to all premises of licensed California racetracks. The suspension will be honored by all other North American racing jurisdictions.

Desormeaux has admitted to alcohol problems in the past and the two incidents that led to the disorderly conduct complaints reportedly involved alcohol. The first incident, which occurred in 2020, led to a 15-day suspension and his ejection from Del Mar property. The owners of Santa Anita excluded Desormeaux from its premises following his January arrest.

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