Tag: The Biz

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has been issued complaints from the Florida Gaming Control Commission Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering for three alleged medication violations in December 2022 and February of this year. These came on the heels of recently reported failed drug tests for Pletcher-trained Eclipse Award winner Forte in New York and multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Mind Control in Pennsylvania, both in September.

Pletcher has said Forte and Mind Control's failed tests were the result of contamination. The three alleged Florida violations are all overages of legal therapeutic medications.

Only one of the five alleged violations has been adjudicated, that being Forte's positive test for the Class 2 anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam following his victory in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes last Sept. 5. Owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, Forte has been disqualified from that win and Pletcher received a 10-day suspension and $1,000 fine. The case is being appealed.

Lisa Lazarus, CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, indicated it is unlikely a case like Forte's would have been pursued as a violation under the newly formed group's Anti-Doping and Medication Control program, which has higher screening levels for certain substances and an “atypical findings” policy designed to identify contamination cases. However, the HISA program did not go into effect until May 22 of this year.

According to records obtained from the Florida Gaming Control Commission Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, two Pletcher runners tested positive at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 10 and a third horse tested positive at the South Florida track on Feb. 3.

Ari Gold, a Medaglia d'Oro colt owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, tested positive for the ulcer medication omeprazole sulfide, a Class 5 drug in Florida, following his victory in the Pulpit Stakes on Dec. 10.

Also on Dec. 10, Team Valor International's OK Boomer tested positive for the Class 4 corticosteroid dexamethasone after winning his debut in a one-mile turf maiden race. The Noble Mission colt has had two races since then, most recently finishing fourth in the Colonel Liam Stakes at Gulfstream on March 4.

On Feb. 3, Six Minus – an English Channel gelding racing for Repole Stable, Todd Pletcher and J.J. Pletcher – was found to have elevated levels of two anti-inflammatories in his system, ketoprofen and phenylbutazone, following an allowance/optional claiming race win on the Gulfstream Park turf. It is a violation of Florida medication regulations to have more than one non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug above certain levels.

Ari Gold was found by the University of Florida Racing Laboratory to have 4.57 nanograms of omeprazole per milliliter in a urine sample; the regulatory threshold or screening limit is 1 ng/ml. OK Boomer was reported to have 19.7 picograms/milliliter of dexamethasone in serum compared to a threshold level of 5 pg/ml. Six Minus had a ketoprofen level of 2.49 ng/ml and phenylbutazone level of 0.967 micrograms/milliliter in serum; when more than one NSAID is found, Florida's threshold level for ketoprofen is 1 ng/ml and phenylbutazone is 0.3 µg/ml.

Pletcher requested hearings for all three cases and split samples were requested for OK Boomer and Six Minus. Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed dexamethasone in OK Boomer at a level of 18.8 pg/ml but the test for Six Minus has not been returned, according to records from Florida officials.

Mind Control's alleged positive came at Parx Racing after the Sept. 24 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes in which the son of Mind Control was elevated to first place following a stewards disqualification of Far Mo Power for stretch interference. The name of the drug has not been reported, and the case has not been brought before the stewards at this time. Mind Control raced for Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables LLC.

Pletcher is the sport's all-time leading trainer by money won. He was voted an Eclipse Award in 2022 as outstanding trainer for a record eighth time.

The post Pletcher Facing Three Complaints In Florida For Medication Overages appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Kentucky Derby Museum is partnering with The Jockey Club to bring an iconic piece of the Kentucky Derby back to where it all began — the Epsom Derby in England.

The replica Derby Trophy will be on display at the Epsom Downs Racecourse, just 20 miles south of London, for the 244th running of the Epsom Derby on Saturday, June 3, 2023. The Epsom Derby was the inspiration for the Kentucky Derby, which will celebrate its 150th running in May 2024.

A representative from Kentucky Derby Museum will attend the Epsom Derby to answer questions about the trophy and to engage guests in the unique ties between British and American racing. The trophy's journey to England will launch the Museum's lineup of celebrations leading up to Kentucky Derby 150.

“The Kentucky Derby Museum is honored to be a guest at the Epsom Derby,” said Patrick Armstrong, Kentucky Derby Museum President and CEO. “We're excited to travel back to our Derby roots and share how the greatest two minutes in sports is an integral part in Louisville's story and Kentucky's success. We believe a trip to Derby 150 will be a bucket-list item for British horseracing fans, and we're excited for the Museum to be part of Louisville's continued growth in international tourism.”

The Museum is diligently working to bring Derby history to life for the 150th Run for the Roses with a new exhibit, exciting events, unique merchandise, and much more.

“We're thrilled to be welcoming the Kentucky Derby trophy and the team from Louisville to Epsom Downs this weekend for The Derby Festival,” said Matt Woolston, Assistant Racing and International Director at The Jockey Club. “We're keen to do more to link up with the different Derbys around the world that can trace their origins back to Epsom in 1780, and initiatives like this can only help in growing the international audience for this iconic event.”

To learn more about the history of the Kentucky Derby and its ties to the Epsom Derby, go to DerbyMuseum.org/Derby150.

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A new chapter was filed last week in the meandering story of owner Mick Ruis' legal challenge against the California Horse Racing Board, according to bloodhorse.com. Ruis, owner of 2018 Santa Anita Derby runner-up Bolt d'Oro, filed a legal challenge in 2020 against the CHRB's decision not to disqualify the winner of the 2018 Santa Anita Derby, Justify.

Justify tested positive for scopolamine after his victory, a substance which was at that time classified as a class 3 drug. CHRB rule 1859.5 states that a finding of any drug in “class levels 1-3 (unless not confirmed by split sample testing) shall require disqualification.” However, the CHRB chose not to disqualify Justify after meeting in an executive (closed) session in August of 2018.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff issued a ruling on the case May 27. Although the judge agreed with Ruis that “there can be no question the facts found by the Stewards required Justify to be disqualified under Rule 1859.5,” he ended up remanding the case back to the stewards so that they could further explain the legal reasoning for choosing not to disqualify the horse.

Beckloff wrote: “effective judicial review of the Steward's (sic) decision is not possible because of a lack of clarity in the decision…. The Court cannot determine from the record how the Stewards reached their decision. Their analytical path is unclear.”

Beckloff will review the matter again at a status hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court Aug. 4

Ruis' attorney, Carlo Fisco, gave the following statement:

“The parties (CHRB and Ruis) and Judge Beckloff all agreed that the Stewards' decision lacked sufficient clarity on the fundamental legal issue, namely, explanation of the legal effect of the closed session decision on the Stewards, to wit, under what theory, doctrine or law did the Stewards defer to the executive session decision despite finding all the required elements for disqualification under Rule 1859.5. Specifically, the Stewards failed to explain how the CHRB's August 2018 closed session prevented them from disqualifying Justify despite finding that the Class 3 prohibited substance, scopolamine, was present in the official sample collected from Justify following the running of the 2018 Santa Anita Derby. There is no dispute to the facts. But the Stewards made no attempt to explain how their Rule 1859.5 hearing got roadblocked by what happened in the executive session.

“We hope the Stewards take their time and provide everyone with the legal basis for their decision. After all, they did find that the horse should have been disqualified. The executive session should have had nothing to do with that finding once the Rule 1859.5 complaint was filed. CHRB Rules and California statutes require the disqualification of any horse who tests positive for a prohibited substance. Whatever happened at the secret session cannot obstruct those regulatory and statutory requirements.”

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

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The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association confirmed Wednesday that the Saratoga Educational Seminar is now set for August 17-18, 2023. The seminar is among a calendar of events featuring various topics for prospective, new, and established Thoroughbred owners and breeders. 

TOBA educational seminars and clinics for 2023 are listed below:  

• June 23-24 – Woodbine-Toronto, Canada 
• July 27-28 – Del Mar Thoroughbred Club-Del Mar, California 
• August 17-18 – Saratoga-Saratoga Springs, New York 
• October 23 – Lexington, Kentucky 

Specific topics, speakers, and sponsors for each seminar will be announced individually closer to the event. Seminars for  this year will cover topics pertaining to both Thoroughbred owners and breeders. Topics may include racing and stable  management, common training practices, common breeding practices, owner and trainer communications, horse selection with a bloodstock agent, partnerships, conformation analysis, and equine business. 

Educational seminars are open to both members and non-members, with discounts for members of TOBA or any  hosting/sponsor organizations. Meals, materials, and a TOBA gift bag are included with registration.  Pricing is as follows: 

• 2-Day Seminar: $295/Non-Member $245/Member 
• 1-Day Seminar: $145/Non-Member $99/Member 

Registration is available on the TOBA website at: https://toba.memberclicks.net/seminars-clinics. Questions about the clinics and seminars may be directed to Barkley N. Porter at barkley@toba.org / (859) 276-6793. 

The Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association (TOBA), based in Lexington, Ky., was formed in 1961 and is a  national trade organization of leading Thoroughbred owners and breeders. TOBA's mission is to improve the economics,  integrity, and pleasure of the sport on behalf of Thoroughbred owners and breeders. Projects managed by TOBA include  the American Graded Stakes Committee, Claiming Crown, Ownership Seminars, Breeding, Conformation & Pedigree  Clinics, US-Bred, TOBA Owners Concierge, OwnerView and the Sales Integrity Program. TOBA provides international  representation for U.S. owners and breeders on the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee,  International Cataloguing Standards Committee, and International Thoroughbred Breeders Federation. Thoroughbred  Charities of America (TCA) is the charitable arm of TOBA. TOBA Media Properties, a subsidiary of TOBA, is the co owner of BloodHorse LLC. TOBA is represented on the board of directors of the National Thoroughbred Racing  Association and the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium as founding members. 

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