Pletcher Horse Tests Positive for Betamethasone

According to a posting on the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) website, trainer Todd Pletcher has had a horse test positive for the controlled medication betamethasone.

The infraction occurred with the horse Vassimo (Nyquist), who tested positive after breaking his maiden on Dec. 14 at Gulfstream. He subsequently came back and won an allowance at Tampa Bay Downs and is entered to run in Saturday's GII Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. The positive will not affect his status for the Fair Grounds race.

Betamethasone, a long-acting corticosteroid with immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties, is the same substance that caused so many problems for trainer Bob Baffert. The Baffert-trained Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for the substance after crossing the wire first in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. That was among the reasons Baffert was banned by Churchill Downs and was not permitted to enter horses in the Kentucky Derbies of 2022, 2023 and 2024. Churchill lifted the ban in July. Baffert said that the betamethasone used on Medina Spirt was merely an ointment to help heal a skin rash.

If the betamethasone positive holds up, the penalty levied against Pletcher will likely be a light one. In November 2023, trainer Marcus Vitali was fined $500 by HIWU for a betamethasone positive.

“We have not been formally charged yet,” said attorney Drew Mollica, who is representing Pletcher. “We are going to consider our options but we deny any violation.”