By Bill Finley
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has issued a provisional suspension to trainer Angel Quiroz after the horses Tepeyac (Heart to Heart) and Scootaloo (Mitole) tested positive for Albuterol after out-of-competition testing that was performed shortly after they raced on Aug. 9.
Both horses are part of the so-called “Fair Hill Five” scandal, which involved several horses trained by Quiroz and an alleged betting coup. Five horses that were either trained by Quiroz or had links to him raced on Aug. 9. Two won at Monmouth, performing far better than they had in previous races. Both were trained at the Fair Hill Training Center and were coming off lengthy layoffs. Tepeyac was one of the winners.
Quiroz also raced Scootaloo that day at Saratoga. The mare finished fourth in the maiden-claiming event, but may have lost all chance after throwing her head at the start and losing her action.
On the same afternoon at Saratoga, the horses Classic Rock (Daredevil) and MBs Melanie Cares (Redesdale) won at Saratoga, showing the same pattern. Both were training at Fair Hill, were coming off long layoffs and seemed to improve considerably off their previous form. The official trainer for those horses was Ernesto Ochoa. However, they had previously been trained by Quiroz, who said that they were sold by their owners to Ochoa shortly before the Aug. 9 races.
The Racing Post later reported that large wagers were made on all five horses with U.K. bookmakers, who, the paper said, suffered loses in the “six figures.”
According to a story written by the TDN's Dan Ross, Albuterol is a bronchodilator, meaning it's designed to clear the airway, helping horses breathe easier. While the drug is banned when injected, it's permitted for use as an inhaled drug, just as long as it is prescribed by a veterinarian as part of a valid veterinarian-patient-client relationship as a bronchodilator.
On Aug. 13, HIWU posted a ruling for still another Quiroz-trained horse, Bonita Rough (Gone Astray), who had tested positive for Albuterol. Bonita Rough was not part of the Fair Hill Five scandal.
Quiroz is facing potential violations of both HISA's Racetrack Safety Program and the Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program under HIWU.
The maximum penalty associated with a banned substance positive like Albuterol would be a two-year suspension and $25,000 fine. Including the Bonita Rough case, Quiroz, therefore, is facing a maximum six-year suspension and fine of $75,000.
For the potential Racetrack Safety violations, he is looking at a potential $50,000 fine and/or a lifetime ban, according to HIWU spokesperson Alexa Ravit.
In its ruling, HISA wrote the following about Quiroz's alleged violations: “Compromising the welfare of Covered Horses for competitive or commercial gain; administration of Controlled Medication outside the context of a valid Veterinarian-client patient relationship.”
Quiroz's suspension began Tuesday. He will not be allowed to train until the matter is fully adjudicated by HISA and HIWU.
As of Tuesday, there have been no postings regarding the status of Classic Rock, MBs Melanie Cares or still another horse involved in the scandal, The Great Amira (Rock Your World). After finishing last in her only two prior starts, The Great Amira won an Aug. 9 maiden claimer at Monmouth by nine lengths.
A HIWU spokesperson declined to comment to the TDN when asked if Classic Rock, The Great Amira or MBs Melanie Cares had also been tested and, if so, whether or not they had positives for Albuterol or any other drug.
Out-of-competition tests were performed on Scootaloo on Aug. 10, one day after she raced. Tepeyac was tested on Aug. 13.
Quiroz, who had only two wins on the year prior to the Aug. 9 victories, has had only one starter since Aug. 9. On Aug. 28, he finished third with Metodo (Gone Astray) at Delaware Park. The Great Amira was entered Aug. 28 at Monmouth only to be scratched by the stewards. The TDN reached out to Monmouth General Manager John Heims and Monmouth's top official, Dennis Drazin, asking why The Great Amira was scratched. Neither replied. The Monmouth stewards also scratched the Quiroz-trained Sigan Viendo (Bee Jersey) from an Aug. 30 race.
Shortly after the Aug. 9 races, Quiroz told the TDN that he had done nothing wrong. Since then, he has not replied to text or phone messages from the TDN other than an Aug. 28 text in which he asked the TDN to never contact him again.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
