violations

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among this most recent set of rulings, by far the most portentous was the 15-year ban doled out to trainer Milton Pineda, who trained seven different horses that tested positive post-race for the banned substance, Diisopropylamine, between June 2 and July 4 last year. The seven horses started at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita. Pineda was also accused of program training during the period of his provisional suspension....

The ruled-off trainer John Pimental said Wednesday that he and his wife, Diana, have been "blown away" by the support and offers of assistance they have received in the five days since a TDN story highlighted the life-altering ramifications of John's signing an "admission of rule violations" and "acceptance of consequences" document to settle Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) allegations stemming from a methamphetamine positive in one of his Monmouth Park trainees. While being served notice on July 28 of the meth positive, HIWU agents conducted a Monmouth barn...

Trainer John Pimental was mired in a 1-for-46 streak on the morning of July 28, 2023. But the 68-year-old horseman knew he didn't have life as bad as those numbers suggested. He was taking care of eight Thoroughbreds for a good, longtime client. He enjoyed escorting runners to the Monmouth Park starting gate with his 17-year-old pony, hustling as much business as he could on race days when his own horses weren't in, the way he had always earned a living as a second-generation racetracker who grew up on a...

Two veterinarians have been provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) for possession of bisphosphonates, the controversial drug for treatment of bone degeneration issues that has long bedeviled horse racing regulators due to its ability to stay in the system for years, and it's propensity to potentially weaken bones if misused. It is understood these are the first such actions HIWU has taken for possession of bisphosphonates. No post-race or out-of-competition samples have as yet returned positive for bisphosphonates, according to the HIWU rulings web-page. HIWU is...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. The TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from the same week. These will include decisions from around the country. California Track: Del Mar Date: 08/17/2023 Licensee: Tiago Pereira, jockey Penalty: Three-day...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week, while we wait to see what the new year will bring...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) has published a list of 47 violations of the crop rule covering its first three weeks in effect. In the future, this information will be available publicly at hisaus.org. All 47 HISA Stewards' rulings listed below are related to violations of the crop rule. Arapahoe - 1 (Colorado): Bryan McNiel. Belmont - 2 (New York): Herman Harkie; Jose Gomez. Charles Town Races & Slots - 1 (West Virginia): Victor Rodriguez. Delaware Park - 2 (Delaware): Pedro Coronil; Carlos Eduardo Rojas. Emerald Downs -...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 02/25/2022 Licensee: Desiderio Orantes, groom Penalty: Suspension Violation: Failure to appear for hearing on disorderly conduct and animal welfare charges Explainer: Groom Desiderio Orantes, having failed to respond to written notice to appear before the Board of...

According to a ruling posted on the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission's website, trainer Ricardo (Richie) Vega had been "summarily suspended" by the stewards at Parx Racetrack. The story was first reported by the website www.theracingbiz.com. The decision comes after the racing commission staged a backstretch raid at Parx over the weekend of May 22-23. Investigators searched cars, barns and grooms' quarters. Tom Chuckas, who heads the Pennsylvania Racing Commission, reported to his fellow regulators during a Zoom call that "a significant amount of contraband" had been uncovered and that the...