Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings, June 6-12

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: Santa Anita

Date: 06/09/2023

Licensee: Kent Desormeaux, jockey

Penalty: Probation during remainder of license period, per terms and conditions

Violation: Disorderly conduct, failure to report

Explainer: Jockey Kent Desormeaux, having entered into a Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) for violation of CHRB rules 1874 (Disorderly Conduct) and 1680 (Jockeys and Drivers to Report) on March 31, 2023, at Santa Anita Park, is placed on probation for the remainder of his license period, subject to the following terms and conditions of probation: He is placed on a testing agreement with the following conditions: (a) He will be tested by a CHRB investigator before entering the racetrack to exercise a horse or participate in a race. (b) On scheduled race days, he will report to the CHRB investigative office no later than 1.5 hours before the scheduled post time. (c) In the event CHRB investigators obtain a PAS reading detecting the presence of alcohol (Anything greater than 0.00) his license will be summarily suspended until a noticed hearing before a Board of Stewards is held and a ruling is issued. (d) Upon renewal of his Jockey license, a testing agreement will be part of his next license period.

Read more on the story here.

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 06/11/2023

Licensee: Ricardo Ramirez, jockey

Penalty: Four-days suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: Jockey Ricardo Ramirez who rode Irondale in the sixth race on June 10, 2023 at Santa Anita Park is suspended 4 racing days, June 18, 23, 24 and 25, 2023, for failure to maintain a straight course in the stretch causing interference resulting in the disqualification of his mount from second to third; a violation of California Horse Racing Board Rule #1699 (Riding Rules – Careless Riding – second offense in the last sixty (60) days).

New York

Track: Belmont Park

Date: 06/11/2023

Licensee: Todd Pletcher, trainer

Penalty: Fourteen-day suspension, $2,000 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: Mr. Todd Pletcher, as responsible trainer under 9 NYCRR 4043.4 (a),violated Commission rules in that Mr. Todd Pletcher trained horse ” Capensis “, that finished 6th in the 10th race at Saratoga racecourse on July 30th 2022, and having received a report from the New York Drug Testing and Research program that a race-day sample taken from the horse ” Capensis ” had the substance Phenylbutazone present at a concentration, including an assessment of the measurement uncertainty and imprecision of the quantitative threshold, in excess of 0.3 mcg/ml in plasma in violation of 9 NYCRR 4043.3 (a) (26).Trainer Mr. Todd Pletcher is hereby fined the sum of two thousand ($2,000) dollars and suspended fourteen Calandar days having appealed a stay has been granted.

Furthermore, ” Capensis ” is disqualified from any part of the purse and the Stewards order the purse redistributed as follows.

1. # (8) Ricochet
2. # (3) Orchestration
3. # (5) Shawdyshawdyshawdy
4. # (2) C Falls
5. # (9) Irwin
6. # (1) Bay Street Money
7. # (7) Exult
8. # (11) Hidden Enemy (IRE)
9. # (6) Airman
10. # (10) Coiosseo

Pletcher said that he is appealing the ruling, as per the TDN.

NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit's “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.

This does not include the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.

One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

Violations of Crop Rule

Belterra Park

Tyler Jake Heard – violation date June 7; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

Fanduel Sportsbook and Horse Racing

Kim Marie Sampson – violation date June 6; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

Horsehoe Indianapolis

DeShawn L Parker – violation date June 6; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

Prairie Meadows

Ramsey Zimmerman – violation date June 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, “excessive whipping of his horse”

Presque Isle Downs

Angel Stanley – violation date June 7; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 9 strikes

Thistledown

German Terraza – violation date June 6; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 1-3 strikes over limit

Jose Torrealba – violation date June 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 1-3 strikes over limit

Pending ADMC Violations

Date: 06/02/2023

Licensee: Jeffrey Poole, trainer

Penalty: Provisional Suspension with final ruling pending

Violation: Possession of a banned substance

Explainer:  Possession of a Banned Substance, Levothyroxine (Thyro-L). Rule 3214(a): “Other Anti-Doping Rule Violations Involving Banned Substances or Banned Methods. The following acts and omissions constitute Anti-Doping Rule Violations by the Covered Person(s) in question: (a) Possession of a Banned Substance or a Banned Method, unless there is compelling justification for such Possession.”

Date: 06/09/2023

Licensee: Luis Jorge Perez, veterinarian

Penalty: Provisional Suspension with final ruling pending

Violation: Possession of a banned substance

Explainer:  Possession of a Banned Substance, Levothyroxine (Thyro-L). Rule 3214(a): “Other Anti-Doping Rule Violations Involving Banned Substances or Banned Methods. The following acts and omissions constitute Anti-Doping Rule Violations by the Covered Person(s) in question: (a) Possession of a Banned Substance or a Banned Method, unless there is compelling justification for such Possession.”