Robertino Diodoro

High-profile trainer Robertino Diodoro, who is serving a provisional suspension from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after the banned substance levothyroxine was found in his barn at Oaklawn Park, has entered a horse for the April 18 card at Lone Star Park. On opening night, he has entered Master of Disguise (Mastery) in a maiden special weight race with a purse of $33,000. Diodoro is eligible to race in Texas because the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) does not have jurisdiction in that state. Diodoro did not...

Top trainer Robertino Diodoro has been provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) after he was allegedly found to possess the banned substance Levothyroxine. Levothyroxine is a thyroid medication. According to the National Library of Medicine the use of thyroid hormones for doping to enhance performance in human sports has long been controversial. There have been claims of abuse of these drugs, but they have not been prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Diodoro declined to comment and referred questions to his lawyer, John Holleman. At deadline...

Edited Press Release Many of the trainers and owners running horses in Saturday's eight Claiming Crown races already won a critical competition before the starting gate even opens at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: They got the horse at the claim box. With shrinking foal crops and enhanced purses in areas such as Kentucky, New York and Arkansas, there has never been more demand for a competitive claiming horse, the backbone of American racing. The Claiming Crown was created 25 years ago by the National Horsemen's Benevolent &...

Edited Press Release Ken Ramsey is back at the Claiming Crown. If he has only three horses (in two races) running in the program designed to showcase American horse racing's blue-collar horses, it's not for a lack of effort. The 88-year-old Ramsey is the winningest owner in the history of the Claiming Crown, which will be staged for the 25th time this Saturday at the historic Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. But his last starter came with Peru (GB) (Motivator {GB}), whose victory in the 2018 Claiming Crown Tiara...

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...

When Gary Gullo retired from training in September of 2020 after 40 years on the Belmont backside, it was with big goals in mind. Gullo teamed up with longtime owner Anthony Melfi to start GMP Stable, an operation focused on breeding, selling, racing and now an equine rehabilitation farm. Gullo and Melfi's main goal has always been to acquire and breed top- quality horses and the first member of their new-and-improved breeding program will be offered at the prestigious Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale next week. "It's our first time upgrading our...

Robertino Diodoro, currently second in wins and fourth by earnings in the Oaklawn Park trainer standings, had a fifth-place finisher from three months ago disqualified via stewards' ruling Monday because of a Class 4 dexamethasone positive. Although the DQ ruling itself did not impose a fine upon Diodoro, a separate stewards' ruling fined him $1,000 under the "absolute insurer" clause. By issuing a separate fine, the Oaklawn stewards handled Diodoro's Class 4 positive similar to how they did in 2020 when Diodoro had two winners and a fifth-place horse disqualified...

Flying P Stable and R. A. Hill Stable's Lone Rock (Majestic Warrior), winner of the 13-furlong GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S. on the Breeders' Cup undercard at Del Mar Nov. 6, is a possible candidate for the G1 $12-million Dubai World Cup Mar. 26, according to trainer Robertino Diodoro. If all goes well in the 7-year-old gelding's next start, the GIII Razorback H. at Oaklawn Feb. 12, the Dubai World Cup will likely be next. "I don't know if we have to win [the Razorback]," Diodoro said. "We are shortening...

At the start of 2021, Rob Rosette was a Thoroughbred owner without much of a racing stable. His horses went 0-for-2 in all of 2019, and although his only two runners won three races from 10 combined starts in 2020, the prolonged pandemic shutdown of racing in his home state of Arizona made it difficult to stay in the game he had pursued as a hobby for a decade. But still, back on Jan. 13, Rosette had a brain spark he thought might generate some enjoyment. Although probably not, as...

On this day 12 months ago, Robertino Diodoro saddled Cypress Creek Equine and partners' Keepmeinmind (Laoban) to a popular maiden-breaking victory in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. en route to a trip down the Triple Crown trail. Saturday afternoon beneath the Twin Spires, the same connections' Dream Lith (Medaglia d'Oro) officially served notice that she is on a GI Longines  Kentucky Oaks trajectory, overcoming a tricky trip to post a narrow success in the GII Golden Rod S. When favored Rags To Riches S. winner Sandstone (Street Sense) failed...

Sunday's running of the Bertram F. Bongard S. for New York-breds at Belmont ended in tragedy as Happy Happy B (Honor Code) broke down during the race and had to be euthanized. The 2-year-old suffered a catastrophic injury to his right front leg. Breaking down about 70 yards before the wire, Happy Happy B threw rider Jose Ortiz, who was sent to North Shore Hospital to have his left leg evaluated. Ortiz's agent Jim Ricco Jr. reported Sunday evening the rider was fine and was not expected to miss any...

Keepmeinmind (Laoban) has been scratched from Saturday's $1-million GI Pennsylvania Derby after an abscess was discovered in his left front foot. "It's just bad timing," trainer Robertino Diorodo said. "He trained like a monster [Thursday] and we needed the pony to get him off the track, he was feeling so good. This is definitely disappointing, but the main thing is the horse is going to be ok. Terrible timing." GSW Keepmeinmind was last seen finishing fourth in the Aug. 28 GI Runhappy Travers S.