Journalists Wandering Eyes Posted Wednesday at 10:07 PM Journalists Posted Wednesday at 10:07 PM Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Among this week's rulings, trainer Efren Loza Jr. has been suspended an additional four years and fined a total of $38,000 (including arbitration costs) for a Clenbuterol positive stemming from last September, adding to an 18-month suspension he is already serving, again for a Clenbuterol positive. According to the arbitrator's final decision, an out-of-competition hair test taken from Lucago on Sept. 3 last year returned positive findings for the controversial bronchodilator Clenbuterol, which is banned under HISA except under certain circumstances. At the time that sample was pulled, Loza was not the covered person responsible for Lucago, and was already serving his 18-month suspension. Loza had officially transferred responsibility for Lucago to trainer Luis Ramirez on June 20 last year. But according to the arbitrator's ruling based on expert testimony, the Clenbuterol had been administered prior to the June 20 switch in responsibility. “Based on sound scientific reasoning-and common sense-Lucago's exposure to clenbuterol had to have occurred prior to June 3, 2024,” the ruling states. In Loza's post-hearing brief, he argued that the most plausible explanation for the positive was accidental contamination. Loza's current 18 month suspension ends Oct. 16 this year. This additional four-year suspension begins the same day. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 06/03/2025 Licensee: Samuel Valdivia, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Isoflupredone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Computing Champ, who finished second at Will Rogers on 4/29/25. Date: 06/03/2025 Licensee: Steve Williams, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Gospel Mark, who finished second at Will Rogers on 4/21/25. Date: 06/03/2025 Licensee: Glenn Wismer, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on June 4; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a controlled substance (Class B)–in a sample taken from Ask Arthur, who finished fifth at Keeneland on 4/19/25. Date: 06/02/2025 Licensee: Efren Loza Jr., trainer Penalty: Four (4) year period of Ineligibility, beginning on October 16, 2025; $30,000 fine; payment of $8,000 toward the arbitration costs of the proceeding; and (14) month period of Ineligibility for the Covered Horse Lucago, beginning on April 3, 2024. Final decision by arbitral body. Explainer: Out-of-competition medication violation for the use or attempted use of Clenbuterol–a banned substance except in strict circumstances–on the horse, Lucago. Date: 05/30/2025 Licensee: Gregory Foley, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500 per violation, for a total of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points per violation, for a total of 3 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone and Phenylbutazone–both controlled substances (Class C)–in a sample taken from Hard to Get on 4/15/25. Date: 05/30/2025 Licensee: Dr. Margaret Smyth, veterinarian Penalty: Three (3) month period of Ineligibility, beginning on May 30, with a credit of twenty-five (25) days for the Provisional Suspension served in 2023. Admission. Explainer: Possession of Pitcher Plant Extract (Sarapin), Levothyroxine and Hemo 15–all banned substances–for an event dated 10/4/23. Date: 05/30/2025 Licensee: Dr. Barbara Hippie, veterinarian Penalty: Three (3) month period of Ineligibility, beginning on May 30, with a credit of twenty-five (25) days for the Provisional Suspension served in 2023. Admission. Explainer: Possession of Clodronate (Bisphosphonate), Pitcher Plant Extract (Sarapin), Levothyroxine, Isoxsuprine and Hemo 15–all banned substances–for an event dated 9/28/23. Date: 05/29/2025 Licensee: Emmanuel Tzortzakis, trainer Penalty: 15-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on May 30, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $2,500; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Cannabidiol (CBD)–a controlled substance (Class B)–in a sample taken from Whoosh on 3/18/25. Pending ADMC Violations 06/03/2025, Jorge Abreu, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Curlin's Angel on 5/2/25. 06/03/2025, Luis Fernando Gonzalez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone and Flunixin–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Swen on 5/2/25. 06/02/2025, Mike Miceli, trainer: Pending medication violations for the presence of Dexamethasone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in samples taken from Montauk Mystique, who finished second at Aqueduct on 3/28/25, and from Mighty Atlas who won at Aqueduct on 3/21/25. 05/29/2025, Carmelo Ortiz-Ruiz, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a controlled substance (Class C)–in a sample taken from Boxster on 4/6/25. Violations of Crop Rule Belterra Park Antioco Murgia–violation date May 29; $250 fine, one-day suspension Churchill Downs Abel Cedillo–violation date May 29; $1,500 fine, three-day suspension Gulfstream Park Miguel Angel Vasquez–violation date May 30; $250 fine, one-day suspension Hawthorne Alexis Centeno–violation date May 29; $250 fine, one-day suspension The post Weekly National Regulatory Rulings, May 29-June 4 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article Quote
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