Weekly National Regulatory Rulings, July 10-16

[Wandering Eyes]

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, Bonnie Lucas has been banned for 60 days and fined a total of $8,000 for violating the rules on intra-articular joint injections within a specified standdown time prior to a timed workout or race. For the 47 horses that had been administered joint injections within 14 days of post-time, the horses were disqualified and forfeited any purse winnings.

In a March agreement order with HISA, Lucas accepted a lifetime ban from participating in the sport of horse racing after admitting to her role in 43 intra-articular joint injection violations.

The enforcement over intra-articular injection violations transitioned from HISA's anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) Program to HISA's Racetrack Safety Program on July 8, last year.

The timing of the joint injections to which HIWU recently issued sanctions against Lucas fell under HISA's ADMC Program, and are in addition to the lifetime ban already imposed by HISA, wrote a HIWU spokesperson.

“Under the ADMC Program Rules, these violations required the disqualifications of race results, which Lucas was seeking to avoid,” wrote the HIWU spokesperson.

Though intra-articular injections are now being enforced under HISA's Racetrack Safety Program banner, HISA will still “seek disqualification of race results for any horse that competes in violation of a mandatory standdown time,” a HISA spokesperson wrote.

Elsewhere, trainer Phil Serpe has been banned for two years, beginning July 15, plus a race disqualification and forfeiture of purse winnings stemming from a Clenbuterol positive related to Fast Kimmie's (Oscar Performance) win at Saratoga Aug. 10 last year.

There are several important wrinkles in this case, which are outlined in detail by the TDN here. One is that the decision did not impose any monetary fine upon Serpe-a notable departure from how the agency has handled a dozen other clenbuterol detections.

Serpe has initiated a federal lawsuit against HISA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). His legal team has argued in a Florida federal court that HIWU's non-pursuit of a monetary penalty is an alleged attempt to subvert Serpe's efforts to prove he has been wrongfully denied a Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.

The Florida federal court judge David Leibowitz wrote in May that he was denying Serpe's request for a preliminary injunction in the case, though left the door open for Serpe to still pursue his Seventh Amendment injunction claim in light of the (then) impending HIWU arbitration decision.

On Tuesday after the arbitration decision was made public, Serpe renewed in federal court his request for a preliminary injunction in his lawsuit against HISA and the FTC. His legal team also filed an immediate appeal with the FTC to have his July 14 HIWU arbitration decision reconsidered by an administrative law judge.

Resolved ADMC Violations
Date: 07/16/2025
Licensee: Anthony Granitz, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Vet's list medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a Class C controlled substances–in a sample taken from Scenic Justice (Harry's Holiday) 6/13/25.

Date: 07/15/2025
Licensee: Marcelino Salas, 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 Diclofenac–a Class C controlled substances–in a sample taken from Yammy Yammy Bella (Karakontie), who finished third at Horseshoe Indianapolis 5/28/25.

Date: 07/14/2025
Licensee: Gabriel Alexis Silva, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning July 15, 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 $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Lidocaine–a Class B controlled substances–in a sample taken from Dansmetothendoflov (Paynter), who finished second at Canterbury Park 5/31/25.

Date: 07/14/2025
Licensee: Phil Serpe, trainer
Penalty: 2-year period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning July 15, 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). Final decision by arbitral body.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Clenbuterol–a banned substance permitted in certain circumstances–in a sample taken from Fast Kimmie, who won at Saratoga 8/10/24.

Date: 07/09/2025
Licensee: Michael Maker, trainer
Penalty: None.
Explainer: Maker was facing alleged charges for the presence of Diflunisal–a banned NSAID–in a sample taken from Intermittent Fast (Tapwrit), who won at Churchill Downs 11/29/25, but the charges were withdrawn due to “Deficiency identified in processing of B Sample.”

Date: 07/09/2025
Licensee: Bonnie Lucas, trainer
Penalty: 60-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning July 9, 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 $5,000. Final decision by internal adjudication panel.
Explainer: Violation of Rule 4222, Intra-articular injections within 14 days of post-time, concerning the following 47 horses linked here.

Date: 07/09/2025
Licensee: Bonnie Lucas, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $3,000. Final decision by internal adjudication panel.
Explainer: Violation of Rule 4222, Intra-articular injections within seven days of a timed and reported workout, concerning the six horses linked here.

Pending ADMC Violations
07/16/2025, Joseph David Perez, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Digits (Street Boss) 6/15/25.

07/16/2025, George Papaprodromou, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Capsaicin–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Sneaker (Oscar Performance), who won the Fran's Valentine Stakes at Santa Anita 5/24/25.

07/14/2025, Justin Evans, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Big Beauty (Mr. Big) 6/20/25.

07/14/2025, Kelli Martinez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Cannabidiol (CBD)–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from American Sue (American Lion), who finished second at Prairie Meadows 6/14/25.

07/10/2025, Jeff Mullins, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Betamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Sparta F.C. (Astern {Aus}) 6/5/25.

07/10/2025, Jose R. Gonzalez Sr., trainer: Pending out-of-competition medication violation for the presence of Albuterol–a banned bronchodilator–in a sample taken from Ol'McClintock (Marking) 4/22/25.

07/10/2025, Carlos Acosta, trainer: Pending out-of-competition medication violations for the presence of Albuterol–a banned bronchodilator–in samples taken from Storm Leader (Attila's Storm) 4/22/25; and from Tucum (King Bull) 4/22/25.

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