Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.
The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.
Resolved ADMC Violations
Date: 06/09/2025
Licensee: Victor Barboza, trainer
Penalty: None. Case dismissed.
Explainer: Barboza had faced a medication violation for the use or attempted use of a Class C controlled medication on Gayles Evening during the race period, an event dated 3/2/25. According to the final ruling of the internal adjudication panel, regulatory veterinarian Dr. Teichner had allegedly witnessed Barboza's assistant administer an oral substance to Gayle's Evening prior to the race Mar. 2. Teichner allegedly observed this while she was “outside of the barn, in her vehicle, looking into the barn,” the final ruling states. But the panel dismissed the case because “no physical evidence, investigator testimony, or photographic proof was presented to support this allegation.”
Date: 06/06/2025
Licensee: Mike Miceli, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horses' Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points; Treated as 1 violation with Pistol Liz Ablazen under 09/08/23 HISA Guidance. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violations for the presence of Dexamethasone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Wildcat Annie, who won at Aqueduct on 2/15/25; and from Piston Liz Ablazen, who finished second at Aqueduct on 2/21/25.
Date: 06/06/2025
Licensee: Mike Miceli, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning June 7; Disqualification of Covered Horses' Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points; Treated as 1 violation with Montauk Mystique under 09/08/23 HISA Guidance. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violations for the presence of Dexamethasone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in samples taken from Montauk Mystique, who finished second at Aqueduct on 3/28/25, and from Mighty Atlas who won at Aqueduct on 3/21/25.
Date: 06/05/2025
Licensee: Roshan Samsundar, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning June 6, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Caffeine–a controlled substance (Class B)–in a sample taken from Carbon, who won at Aqueduct on 3/14/25.
Date: 06/05/2025
Licensee: Carl Cunningham, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Prince Pierre on 4/22/25.
Date: 06/04/2025
Licensee: Eric Reed, trainer
Penalty: 15-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning June 5; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $2,500; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Gabapentin–a controlled substance (Class B)–in a sample taken from She's a Saint, who won at Mahoning Valley on 4/8/25.
Pending ADMC Violations
06/09/2025, Arthur Agostini, trainer: Pending violation for the use or attempted use of a Class C controlled medication on That's My Cat during the race period, an event dated 12/27/24.
06/06/2025, Tanner Tracy, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Rockets Sister on 5/8/24.
06/05/2025, Dr. Jason Scott, veterinarian: Pending violation for the possession of Pitcher Plant Extract (Adenosine Phosphate)–a banned substances–for an event dated 2/13/25.
06/05/2025, Vance Childers, trainer: Pending out-of-competition medication violation for the presence of Testosterone–a banned substance–in a sample taken from Childersattack on 10/16/24.
Violations of Crop Rule
Penn National
Wesley Ho – violation date June 7; $250 fine, one-day suspension
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