Robertino Diodoro, the leading trainer at the 2020 Oaklawn Park meet by wins and the season's third-highest purse-earnings conditioner, had two winners and a fifth-place horse disqualified via a trio of Aug. 31 stewards' rulings that cited prohibited use of two different Class 4 substances detected in post-race testing.
The three individual horse rulings did not impose any fines upon Diodoro. However, a separate fourth ruling docked Diodoro $3,500 for failing to meet the “absolute insurer” requirements of a trainer licensed by the Arkansas State Racing Commission.
The disqualified horses and affected races that will have purse redistributions are:
Adheretome (Paynter), who won her third consecutive race when finishing first in a Mar. 19 $25,000 claimer and subsequently tested positive for the prohibited substance triamcinolone acetonide.
Moment (Uncle Mo), who won a $25,000 waiver-claimer Apr. 3 and subsequently tested positive for the prohibited substance methocarbamol.
Weekend Madness (Include), who ran fifth in a Mar. 1 $25,000 maiden-claimer and subsequently tested positive for the prohibited substance triamcinolone acetonide.
Triamcinolone acetonide can be given intra-articularly to horses for treatment of arthritis. Methocarbamol is a relaxant used to treat exercise-related muscle problems.
It was not immediately clear if Diodoro would be appealing the rulings.
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