Disqualification

In the latest detour in the exhaustive legal saga stemming from Justify's 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby win, the connections of the horse during his racing career filed a notice last week with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) requesting that the agency entertain an appeal of a recent board of stewards decision disqualifying the horse from the race and to stay the purse distribution. In response, the CHRB have denied a stay of the stewards' decision but stated that it will "assign a Hearing Officer in this matter where...

The long-standing saga of the 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby may finally be at a close, as the $1-million purse was formally redistributed Saturday, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) won the 2018 Santa Anita Derby, but later tested positive for scopolamine and Mick Ruis, owner of the second-place finisher Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), persevered with his attempts to have the results overturned. More on the background of his efforts can be found here. This past December, Ruis released a statement...

Three months after a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to set aside a 2020 stewards' decision and issue a new ruling disqualifying winner Justify from the 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby, a separate settlement has been reached that calls for the CHRB to pay $300,000 to Mick Ruis, the owner of runner-up Bolt d'Oro, and to order a redistribution for the $1-million purse of that stakes. Dick Downey of the Blood-Horse was first to report the settlement on Thursday, citing details made...

In the aftermath of the controversial running of Saturday's Great White Way S. at Aqueduct, in which Brick Ambush (Laoban) crossed the wire second but was disqualified and placed last, outspoken owner Mike Repole has called for the resignation of The Jockey Club's president and CEO Jim Gagliano and its chairman Stuart Janney III. He did so Wednesday in a post to his account on the social media website X. Repole, who did not have a horse in the race, recently announced the formation of The National Thoroughbred Alliance (NTA),...

Following the controversial disqualification of Brick Ambush (Laoban), who crossed the wire second in Saturday's $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct, owner Dean Reeves said he will appeal the decision of the stewards. In a roughly run race, there was an incident at the quarter-pole where Big Torpedo (Big Brown) and Solo's Fury (Solomini) both checked sharply. Big Torpedo finished fourth and Solo's Fury was last of 12. A strong case can be made that Antonio of Venice (Laoban), the race winner with...

There was fast action and drama galore, and like all the best thrillers, it ended with a plot twist. Caramel Swirl (Union Rags) had been keeping good company in her last two starts, but by the end of a wild running of the GII Gallant Bloom S., her losing streak would be over via the double disqualification of Sterling Silver (Cupid) and Headland (Paynter), both of whom would be placed behind her. Company doesn't come tougher than two Champions, and that is exactly who Caramel Swirl had to contend with...

Colonial Downs may be wrapping up a historic 2023 season with Saturday's GIII New Kent Country Virginia Derby but several firsts paved the way this summer for brighter things to come in New Kent, VA. In addition to hosting its first Grade I races, the Arlington Million and the 'WAYI' Beverly D., Colonial welcomed a new face in the steward's stand. North Carolina native Whitney Verbal joined veterans Jack Houghton and Pat Bovenzi in making the calls Wednesday-Saturday and has been nothing but a welcome breath of fresh air in...

The hearing officer assigned to oversee trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zedan Racing Stables' appeal of penalties related to the drug disqualification of 2021 GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) has issued a recommended order to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) that the underlying stewards' rulings be affirmed in their entirety. The 47-page report was made public via press release by the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet early on the Friday evening of the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. Its issuance comes 765 days after Medina Spirit crossed the...

In response to comments from Forte's connections on a conference call last Thursday, May 11 accusing the New York State Gaming Commission of unprofessional handling of the Forte meloxicam overage in the Sept. 5, 2022 Hopeful Stakes, the commission's spokesman, Brad Maione, has issued a timeline of the eight months between the positive test and the stewards' hearing to discuss the results. At that hearing May 10, Forte was disqualified from the Hopeful Stakes win, Todd Pletcher was fined $1,000 and suspended for 10 days. The connections said they would...

There were three Grade I races on the grass for fillies and mares in North America Saturday; to the surprise of no one, Chad Brown-trained and Peter Brant-owned mares took center stage, following up In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})'s win in Keeneland's GI First Lady S. with a mild upset by Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) in the GI E. P. Taylor S. at Woodbine. Michael Tabor partners with Brant in Rougir, a Group 1 winner in France and a GSW in the U.S. Heavy even-money favorite Moira (Ghostzapper), winner of...

David Harrison, a real estate appraiser and collateral analyst from Webster, New York, northeast of Buffalo and near the southern shore of Lake Ontario, took home the $725,000 first prize and an Eclipse Award as Horseplayer of the Year ad the 23rd annual National Horseplayers' Championship at Bally's Las Vegas Jan. 30. The 63-year-old amassed a total of $342 over the course of the three-day tournament from 53 mythical $2 win/place bets--18 each during the qualifying rounds Friday and Saturday, 10 in Sunday morning's semi-final round and seven at the...

After Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) was disqualified for causing interference in the $100,000 GIII Herecomesthebride S. Saturday at Gulfstream, trainer Mark Casse said he would appeal the decision. "I have the paperwork right here and I am filling it out," he said just a few minutes after the race. On the far turn, Spanish Loveaffair got tangled up with I Get It (Get Stormy) and the two appeared to clip heels, which caused I Get It to bounce off the inner rail. It was not exactly clear whether or not...