Suspension

Jockey Katie Davis will be suspended from riding the first seven days of the 2024 Saratoga Race Course season after she opted not to appeal a "careless riding" penalty handed down by the stewards. The ruling follows the disqualification of her mount on the final Saturday of this summer's meet. According to the ruling dated Sept. 17, the infraction occurred in Saratoga's sixth race Sept. 2, a New York-bred maiden special weight over 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Davis was aboard the 52-1 first-timer Vin Santo (Vino Rosso), who...

Owner Amr Zedan and trainer Bob Baffert, connections of the ill-fated Medina Spirit (Protonico), filed a petition for a judicial review of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commissions's disqualification of the colt from his win in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. The news, first reported by Bloodhorse, noted that the petition was filed in Franklin Circuit Court in Kentucky Tuesday and also includes a protest over Baffert's suspension in Kentucky. BloodHorse reported that Zedan and Baffert claim in the petition that the "laboratory limit of detection" used to identify betamethasone in...

After a hearing before an arbitral body, trainer Jeffrey Poole has been hit with a 22-month suspension by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after it was alleged that Poole possessed the banned substance Levothyroxine. He was also fined $10,000 and ordered to make a payment of $8,000 to cover arbitration costs. Poole did not have a horse test positive for the substance. Levothyroxine, commonly known by the trade name Thyro-L, is a synthetic version of the naturally-occurring hormone thyroxine. Thyroxine is produced by the thyroid and works with...

Brothers Irad Ortiz Jr., and Jose Ortiz will both serve three-day "careless riding" suspensions Aug. 9-11 that were imposed by the Saratoga Race Course stewards for separate infractions that involved winning rides last week. Both jockeys elected not to appeal their penalties. Irad Ortiz crossed the wire first but got disqualified aboard 1.45-1 favorite Eyes On Target (Exaggerator) in the seventh race July 27, a $25,000 claiming turf route. The Equibase chart stated that in upper stretch, his mount "was under a light drive in behind the top pair just...

Jockey Flavien Prat will sit out next Wednesday through Friday at Saratoga Race Course after opting not to appeal a three-day "careless riding" suspension incurred there in race eight on July 14. Prat was aboard 9-year-old Happy Farm (Ghostzapper) in a $50,000 claiming sprint. He got forced out soon after the six-furlong start, but settled in the seven path. Prat guided the gelding closer to the rail entering the turn, then cut from the three path down to the fence in front of Thinkaboutit (Uncaptured), who took up sharply while...

Attorney Alan Pincus Discusses HIWU Suspensions on the TDN Writers' Room.

Jockey Raul E. Mena is appealing a 15-day suspension and $1,000 fine imposed by the Delaware Park stewards after a "failure to give best effort" ruling was lodged against him following a last-place finish aboard a 1-for-19 filly who trailed at every call in a $5,000 NW2L claiming sprint June 28. Sarah Crane, the executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC), confirmed in an email that Mena, 31, has been granted a stay of his penalties until a Sept. 19 hearing. But Crane declined an opportunity to address...

Churchill Downs Incorporated is extending the suspension of Bob Baffert through calendar year 2024 based on what Churchill Downs called "continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to CDI-owned racetracks." Churchill released the following statement: "Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at the 147th Kentucky Derby from which his horse was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in accordance with Kentucky law and regulations. Prior to that race, Mr. Baffert signed an agreement...

McLean Robertson, a top trainer in the Midwest whose accomplishments include a pair of training titles at Canterbury Park, has been provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after a horse he trained allegedly tested positive for Altrenogest. The ruling was posted to the HIWU website Monday. It's been a busy few days for HIWU. On Saturday, it was reported on the HIWU website that New York-based trainer Raymond Handal has been provisionally suspended after an alleged positive for Zeranol. On Sunday, the website included a ruling...

Frankie Dettori has appealed his nine-day suspension he earned for interference during the first day of Royal Ascot on Tuesday. Aboard King Charles and Queen Camilla's Saga (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for John and Thady Gosden in the Listed Wolferton S., he was found guilty of careless riding by the Ascot stewards. The suspension was due to run from July 4-12, and would result in Dettori missing a ride on Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Coral-Eclipse on July 8. "I put my appeal in yesterday,...

Robertino Diodoro, currently fifth for wins in this year's North American trainer standings, has been suspended 30 days and fined $1,000 after a colt under his care, Aristocracy (Tapit), tested positive for elevated total carbon dioxide (TCO2) in the blood after finishing sixth in the Apr. 22 $200,000 Bath House Row S. at Oaklawn Park. According to two rulings issued by the Arkansas Racing Commission on Monday, May 15, Aristocracy is disqualified from purse winnings, and Diodoro will have 15 days of his suspension stayed "on the condition that no...

French National Hunt trainer and former champion jump jockey David Cottin faces a 12-month suspension as both trainer and owner after failing to observe the correct withdrawal times in the use of corticosteroids on four horses in his stable. A veterinary officer from France's National Federation of Horseracing carried out an inspection at Cottin's yard in Lamorlaye, near Chantilly, on December 3, which revealed "several violations", according to a statement released by France Galop on Monday. Of particular concern was the evidence of intra-articular (joint) injections, as well as injections...