Major fines/suspensions levied at horsemen

Reports filed by harness racing commissions in the USA to the United States Trotting Association from last week saw a number of trainers receive major fines and suspensions.

Sixto Rivas has been fined $10,000 and suspended for three years after his horse, National Sport, who was positive for N-ethylnicotinamide (a metabolite of nikethamide) in his blood on December 8, 2023, at Hoosier Park. This is recognized as a Class 1 drug with an “A” penalty recommendation by the ARCI Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances. Rivas had been granted an appeal of this decision, which was upheld, and his suspension began on Nov. 20.

Dean Eckley has been fined $10,000 and suspended for one year after out of competition testing found his horse, Angelo, to be positive for both Nandrolone, and Testosterone, in violation of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission’s regulations.

While an appeal was submitted, it was stated that Eckley failed to make a strong showing that he is likely to prevail on the merits of the case given that: Appellant knowingly elected not to send a “split sample” of the positive test despite being given the opportunity and the Appellant failed to rebut the evidence produced at the Judge’s hearing. Eckley is also on a Conditional License, which had bearing on the fines and appeal.

Todd Rooney has been fined $2,500 and suspended for 30 days as his horse, Splendid, was found to be positive for Trazodone on July 29, 2024, at Harrah’s Philadelphia. A split sample was sent to an independent lab, and it confirmed the positive result. Rooney has been granted an appeal by the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission.

by Harnesslink Media