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Third Class 4 Drug Complaint Issued Against Miller This Year

The Peter Miller trained Mr. Dougie Fresh (Ghostzapper) tested positive for phenylbutazone–a class 4, penalty category C drug–after the horse worked at the San Luis Rey Downs training center Sept. 19, according to a California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) complaint dated Sept. 26.

Miller, who did not request a split sample in this case, is scheduled to appear before the Santa Anita board of stewards at an unspecified date. This is Miller's third overage offense in 365 days.

On April 10, Miller was fined $500 after Hembree (Proud Citizen) tested positive for Isoflupredone, a 4C penalty regulated drug, after winning the seventh race at Santa Anita Park Jan. 1.

On Sept. 2, Miller was fined $1,500 and assessed one half point in accordance with the CHRB's multiple medication violations rule as a consequence of Mo Forza (Uncle Mo) testing positive for a phenylbutazone overage after working at San Luis Rey Downs June 19. Mo Forza most recently won the GII City of Hope Mile S. at Santa Anita Oct. 2.

Additionally, the Steve Knapp trained Socal Red (Lookin at Lucky) tested positive for methocarbamol, a 4C penalty regulated drug, after winning the 4th race at Del Mar Aug. 19, according to a CHRB complaint dated Sept. 29.

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Lord Nelson Euthanized

Spendthrift Farm's MGISW Lord Nelson (Pulpit–African Jade by Seeking the Gold) was euthanized Thursday after a long battle with laminitis. He was 9-years-old.

“Upon consulting with a veterinarian team consisting of Dr. Scott Morrisson, Dr. Jim Morehead, and Dr. Caleb Harms and our stallion manager Wayne Howard, it was determined that the only humane course of action we had was to euthanize Lord Nelson following his latest difficult battle with laminitis,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift's general manager. “It's pretty well chronicled his long fight with the disease. After several encouraging years, it unfortunately caught up with him and we couldn't allow him to suffer after we had run out of medical options.”

He continued, “It is a very sad day at Spendthrift. Lord Nelson was an unbelievably courageous horse and I think he'll always be remembered by the entire team at Spendthrift and anyone who ever got to be around him. Just a very special animal and we will miss him.”

Lord Nelson won seven of his 13 starts for trainer Bob Baffert and Spendthrift, earning $958,271. The flashy chestnut closed his career with a trio of Grade I victories in the Triple Bend S., Bing Crosby S. and Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. in 2016. He was forced to miss that year's Breeders' Cup and the 2017 breeding season with a leg infection became laminitis. Lord Nelson's oldest foals are 2-year-olds and he currently has three winners.

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Zulueta Joins Growing List of Plea-Changers in Doping Case

Marcos Zulueta, the now-barred Thoroughbred trainer facing two felony charges in the alleged nationwide horse-doping conspiracy case, appears on the verge of joining the growing list of defendants flipping their initial “not guilty” pleas to “guilty.”

On Thursday, Zulueta, formerly based in the mid-Atlantic region, was granted an Oct. 15 change-of-plea hearing in United States District Court (Southern District of New York).

If Zulueta does indeed end up pleading guilty, his flip will be the eighth in the wide-ranging case that initially included 28 defendants listed in the original indictment from March 2020.

Although not considered a “headline” trainer like fellow defendants Jorge Navarro (who has admitted to doping horses and faces five years in prison when he is sentenced in December) or Jason Servis (who maintains he is not guilty and has a trial date approaching in 2022), Zulueta's name surfaced frequently in wire-tapped conversations secretly recorded by federal investigators before they charged him with one count of drug adulteration and another for conspiracy to defraud using misbranded drugs.

According to a trove of phone conversation transcripts released as evidence by the government in September court documents, on Apr. 3, 2019, Zulueta and Navarro allegedly discussed the testability of a drug administered to the elite-level sprinter X Y Jet (Kantharos), who was trained (and admittedly doped) by Navarro.

X Y Jet died suddenly eight months after that call while still under Navarro's care. The circumstances of the horse's death have never been fully explained.

In another conversation between Navarro and Zulueta from around the same time frame, Navarro and Zulueta allegedly discussed a performance-enhancing “drench” that Navarro described as “a milkshake that…won't show up” that is to be administered “the day of the race.”

At one point, Navarro allegedly boasted, “Marcos I drenched two today and [the creator of the substance] says you can take their blood and nothing will come out,” unlike other drenches where “they catch you.”

During another wire-tapped call, Zulueta allegedly cautions Navarro about the dangers of winning too often with doped horses.

“Yeah, you should be happy-happy-happy that you are not winning all of them,” Zulueta allegedly said, according to the transcript. “Otherwise, you will be arrested.”

Zulueta's words ended up being prophetic: On March 9, 2020, both trainers, plus 26 others, were taken into federal custody in a coordinated series of arrests.

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Bellavia to Stand at Pleasant Acres

Bellavia (Honor Code–Glacken's Gal, by Smoke Glacken) will stand at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida for the 2022 breeding season for a $2,500 fee.

Raced in partnership by Bella Inizio Farm, Fred Rosen, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Randy Bradshaw, the 4-year-old retires with a record of 3-1-1-0 and earnings of $59,7000. The Jena Antonucci trainee's lone win was in a maiden special at Belmont in October of 2019.

“At Pleasant Acres Stallions, we are always searching for the most impressive sire lines to bring to our Florida breeders,” said Joe Barbazon. “Bellavia is by champion, dual Grade I-winning Honor Code and is not only the first Honor Code to stand in Florida, he is the second Honor Code to date to stand anywhere. His commanding presence and impressive build is just like his sire and his grandsire A.P. Indy.”

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