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Woodbine Stewards Suspend Jockey Leo Salles Through Dec. 5

Woodbine stewards have issued a 4 1/2-month suspension to jockey Leo Salles for “careless riding” after a trio of safety-related incidents during the first month of racing at the Ontario track. The 27-year-old native of Brazil told the Toronto Sun he won't appeal the ruling, despite believing the punishment is particularly harsh.

“I think I deserve some days, but I just think it was extreme,” Salles told the Sun. “I apologized. I care about my friends (the other jocks). I just think it is part of horse racing. We know this game is dangerous and this could happen to everybody.”

Salles ended the 2020 season at Woodbine with a 45-day suspension for “endangering the health and safety of another jockey and his horse” on Aug. 9, which was shortened due to COVID, jockey Rafael Hernandez' agent Anthony Esposito told the Paulick Report.

On opening day of the 2021 season on June 12, Salles was involved in incidents in back-to-back races. One earned him a three-day penalty for causing interference, while the second instance of interference a race later earned Salles 10 days and sent Hernandez to the hospital with a hairline vertebral fracture.

“There's a fine line between aggressive and careless and he blurs that line,” Esposito said of Salles.

On July 11, Salles' mount was traveling near the rear of the field when he angled out into the path of an oncoming horse, causing rider Keveh Nicholls to be unseated. Stewards issued an immediate suspension on July 11, pending review, and Nicholls resumed riding several days later.

The stewards ruled on July 15 that Salles will be suspended through Dec. 5, the end of Woodbine's 2021 season. After the suspension, Salles said he plans to ply his trade overseas in the Middle East this winter, where he's ridden before, then to hopefully return to Woodbine for the 2022 season. In the meantime, he hopes to find a job galloping in the mornings at Woodbine.

“I had a very nice career outside of North America, racing in over 20 countries. But I love Canada. My daughter is Canadian. I love Woodbine. I love the horses over here. I love how the trainers treat me. Everything just happened so quick,” Salles told the Sun. “I just think my riding style doesn't match with the rules they have up here.”

KHRC Alleges ‘Lack Of Candor And Contemptuous Conduct’ By New York Lab, Baffert Attorneys

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission filed a status report and motion for order on Monday in the Medina Spirit case, reports the Courier-Journal, requesting that Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate compel trainer Bob Baffert's attorneys to disclose results of testing on a urine sample the court had ordered sent to the New York Equine Drug Testing and Research Laboratory. The KHRC is alleging “lack of candor and contemptuous conduct by the New York Laboratory, plaintiffs, or both.”

Judge Wingate issued a written decision on June 16 regarding plans for the remaining urine sample of Kentucky Derby first place finisher Medina Spirit. The decision follows a June 11 hearing in Franklin County Circuit Court, in which Judge Wingate determined that the legal team for Medina Spirit's connections will be permitted to do extra testing on a urine sample (the “split sample”) taken from the colt after the Kentucky Derby and held by the KHRC.

The case is based on the finding of betamethasone in a post-race sample of Medina Spirit, collected immediately after the colt crossed the wire first in the Kentucky Derby.

Counsel for Medina Spirit's trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zedan Stables filed a civil suit against the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on June 7 demanding their right to test the split urine sample, which sat undisturbed in the commission's freezer. Remnants of the original biologic samples were initially sent to be tested for those ingredients, but they were reportedly damaged before arrival at the plaintiffs' choice of labs.

Judge Wingate ordered June 16 that the remaining urine sample be flown to the plaintiffs' choice of lab for testing, the New York Equine Drug Testing and Research Laboratory, that two KHRC representatives travel with the sample, and that plaintiffs fund the flight. Upon arrival, the KHRC was to retain 5 milliliters of the sample, while the remainder was to be tested for clotrimazole, gentamicin, and betamethasone valerate.

On July 14, the sample was flown to New York accompanied by Dr. Clara Fenger and Tom Huckabee, representing Baffert and Medina Spirit's owner, Amr Zedan, as well as by KHRC executive director Marc Guilfoil and equine medical director Dr. Bruce Howard.

The July 19 filing by the KHRC alleges that the urine sample was split into four milliliter and 19 milliliter segments, with the New York lab to retain the larger segment for testing. Program director Dr. George Maylin attempted to then retain the remnants of the original urine sample, which was contaminated during shipment, claiming he was unaware that the court order required those remnants be turned over to the KHRC.

When the remnants were turned over to KHRC representatives, the filing alleges that the urine tube contained only one to two milliliters of “bloody fluid,” a broken serum separator tube, and another tube with serum that had been saved — all presented at room temperature instead of frozen. Guifoil and Howard report that Dr. Maylin said most of the sample had been used up in testing, but would not indicate what testing was performed.

“We will be formally responding to the Court,” Baffert's attorney, Craig Robertson, told the Courier-Journal. “The statements contained in the KHRC's status report are inaccurate. We have intentionally had no direct communication with the New York lab, so we are unaware of any testing or the results. This will be detailed in our response.”

Nebraska HBPA Opposes Proposals For New Racetracks

After leading the fight to bring casino gambling to the state of Nebraska, the Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association spoke out against proposals for new racetracks at last Friday's meeting of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission meeting, reports the Omaha World Herald.

Specifically, the NHBPA argued that proposals to add tracks in Bellevue and York would dilute the market and weaken existing tracks.

“Building up casinos should build up the racing industry, not line the pockets of others,” said Garald Wollesen, president of the NHBPA.

Last year, Nebraska voters passed a constitutional amendment allowed casino gambling at horse racing tracks, as well as laws regulating the casinos and directing most of the tax revenue to property tax relief. At that time, Nebraska had six racetracks: Grand Island, Omaha, Lincoln, South Sioux City, Columbus, and Hastings.

The five new tracks proposed would be located in Bellevue, York, Norfolk, North Platte, and Scottsbluff.

No decisions were made at Friday's meeting, but Commission Chairman Dennis Lee promised separate hearings for each of the five new racetrack proposals.

Colonial Downs Kicks Off 2021 Season With Record Opening Day Handle

Colonial Downs kicked off its 2021 racing season Monday with a record opening day handle of $2.66 million, spurred by a four-pack of $100,000 Virginia-restricted turf stakes races, and the return of fans to the New Kent track now in its third year under ownership of the Colonial Downs Group.

“We would like to thank the horsemen, our fans on and off site and our team for starting the meet on the right foot,” said John Marshall, Executive VP Operations for the Colonial Downs Group. “What a delight it was to see 2,500 fans at Colonial Downs on a Monday afternoon with such enthusiasm. We appreciate our fans for urging a new all-time Colonial Downs all-source handle opening day record. Looking at today's card, Colonial Downs has arrived at a whole new level.”

Story lines were aplenty in the nine-race program as Colonial's all-time leading rider Horacio Karamanos reached the winners circle three times including a gate-to-wire victory atop Reiley McDonald's Passion Play in the 1 1/16th miles Bert Allen Stakes. The 5-year-old Hold Me Back gelding crossed two lengths ahead of Forloveofcountry, who had a four-race win streak snapped. The winner, a Mary Eppler trainee who broke his maiden two years ago in New Kent, pushed his bankroll to $197,947. Betting favorite Chess Chief finished fourth.

“I expected someone else to go to the front, but when my horse broke out of the gate and took the lead, I tried to control the pace and at the half mile mark, knew I had plenty of horse left,” said Karamanos. “I'm so happy to come here and win this much. This is like my home. I broke records here and feel so happy when I'm back at Colonial Downs.

Karamanos also scored aboard Cavalier Cupid and My Sweet Story.

Gordon Keys' Grateful Bred's win in the 5 1/2-furlong Meadow Stable Stakes gave Middleburg, Virginia-based trainer Madison Myers her first stakes win. The 5-year-old Great Notion gelding raced three-wide around the turn, took the lead at the top of the stretch and crossed 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Sky's Not Falling. He is now 4-for-5 on the turf with earnings of $159,765.

“It's pretty important and exciting to get my first stakes win,” said Myers. “I can't thank Mr. Keys enough for giving me a chance with a horse like this. We only have a handful of horses, so for him to leave him with me and let us go down this route is very special. He won a Maryland-bred allowance four weeks and this was the goal, so we worked him once in between.”

Myers added that winning in Virginia made it extra special win. “The horse is Maryland-bred and Virginia-Certified, and we want to support both programs. We moved to Virginia 8 1/2 years ago, bought a house and just had a baby, so we're pretty settled here now.”

Newtown Anner Stud Farm's Tasting the Stars earned her third stakes win in the Nellie Mae Cox for Virginia-bred and sired horses with Feargal Lynch in the irons. The John Kimmel trainee was fifth heading into the final turn, launched an inside bid turning for home, and won by 2 1/4 lengths. The 5-year-old Bodemeister mare previously won the Brookmeade at Laurel and Just Jenda Stakes at Monmouth. She is now 5-for-7 with earnings of $204,600.

Big Lick Farm's Puppymonkeybaby prevailed in the M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes, her second straight win, and gave trainer Sara Nagle her second win of the day. The lightly raced 3-year-old Hit it a Bomb filly was sent off at 24-1 and was making just her third lifetime start. Winning jockey Jevian Toledo collected his second stakes win — he also guided Grateful Bred to victory. Betting favorite Street Lute, winner of seven dirt stakes, finished sixth in her first effort on grass.

Colonial Downs continues its summer meet with a nine-race card Tuesday at 1:45 PM. The season continues every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday thru September 1.

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