Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Late Lasix Shot Triggers Investigation in Del Mar Race
Posted on Sunday, February 26th, 2006
The California Horse Racing Board will investigate the controversial circumstances surrounding a Sept. 3 race at Del Mar, board member Richard B. Shapiro said yesterday.
The move comes in response to questions suddenly being raised by owners who had horses in the race, a Grade II stake that awarded a first-place prize of $120,000 to Intercontinental, the odds-on favorite.
A drug rules violation occurred when veterinarian Amy Lee Nevens gave Intercontinental a shot of Lasix 20 minutes after deadline – a violation that normally requires the horse be scratched from the race. Lasix is used to treat horses that bleed from the lungs and is to be given no later than 3 hours, 45 minutes before a race.
Instead of being scratched, Intercontinental won easily. Six weeks later, Nevens was fined $750 for the late shot and for falsifying records to make it appear that the shot was given on time. She hung up on a reporter who asked her why she falsified the records.
Yesterday, owner Marsha Naify, whose horse Amorama finished second to Intercontinental, said she would file a letter of protest with the CHRB and ask that the purse be redistributed. On Wednesday, Jim Ford, whose horse Katdogawn finished fourth, sent a similar letter to the CHRB and raised concerns that the situation has the appearance of a cover-up in favor of the betting windows and a high-profile horse and trainer, Bobby Frankel.
“We will probably form a committee or have our medication committee look into this because we clearly want to do, in all instances, the right thing,” Shapiro said. “There is no thought whatsoever by us that this was a cover-up.”
Ingrid Fermin, executive director of the CHRB, said the violation wasn’t discovered by racing officials until after the race.
However, an associate steward, Gina Powell, disputes that. Shapiro, Naify and Ford only recently discovered the situation after it came to light through legal research by another owner unconnected to the race, Jerry Jamgotchian.
CHRB chief investigator Frank Moore learned of it the day after the race and proceeded with the investigation of Nevens.
“We want the matter looked into, in terms of why were just finding out about this now and why was it only a $750 fine,” Naify said.
Related: Del Mar Thorughbred Club free picks and tips
"Late Lasix Shot Triggers Investigation in Del Mar Race" was posted on Sunday, February 26th, 2006 at 4:12 pm and is filed under Horses, Owners & Breeders, Trainers, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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