The California Horse Racing Board issued a statement Friday announcing that the stewards' decision to leave Justify (Scat Daddy) the winner of the 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby will stand. The colt tested positive for Scopolamine after finishing first in the race, and went on to sweep the American Triple Crown following his Santa Anita Derby score.
A CHRB release issued Friday stated: “After a hearing on Oct. 29, 2020, the Board of Stewards at Santa Anita Park racetrack issued a Justify-Decision-Dec.-9.pdf">Statement of Decision Dec. 9 to dismiss complaints filed by the current California Horse Racing Board [CHRB] in the combined cases of the horses Justify and Hoppertunity, both of whom had scopolamine detected in post-race samples following their victories. CHRB filed the complaint as part of a settlement of a lawsuit filed by Mick Ruis, owner of Santa Anita Derby runner-up Bolt d'Oro. Meeting in executive session Thursday, the seven commissioners considered dual requests from Ruis to either appeal that decision by the stewards or overturn it outright. The commissioners rejected both requests.”
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