HIWU suspends California trainer 4 1/2 years

[dilanesp]

The industry is changing.

https://www.drf.com/news/trainer-lorenzo-ruiz-suspended-diisopropylamine-positives

[ubercapper]

The Paulick report publishes a summary weekly, for example https://paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/hiwu-weekly-update-trainer-suspended-4-5-years-fined-37500-for-three-banned-substance-positives/

The info is also available on the HIWU site and via their app. IMO the site is much better.

This is all what most fans have been asking for over the decades. It's difficult to read the quantity of all these things in one place, but it does show progress.

Personally, if these trainers and their vets are learning a lesson from this, it's worth the pain and the sport will be better off for it.

If someone can articulate a valid reason a horse needs muscle relaxants to race (like methocaramol) or sedatives, particularly acepromazine, which I doubt is possible, I'd like to know. Otherwise, I think it's good to see these penalties handed out for these two drugs and others like them.

[Ruffian1]

The Paulick report publishes a summary weekly, for example https://paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/hiwu-weekly-update-trainer-suspended-4-5-years-fined-37500-for-three-banned-substance-positives/

The info is also available on the HIWU site and via their app. IMO the site is much better.

This is all what most fans have been asking for over the decades. It's difficult to read the quantity of all these things in one place, but it does show progress.

Personally, if these trainers and their vets are learning a lesson from this, it's worth the pain and the sport will be better off for it.

If someone can articulate a valid reason a horse needs muscle relaxants to race (like methocarbamol) or sedatives, particularly acepromazine, which I doubt is possible, I'd like to know. Otherwise, I think it's good to see these penalties handed out for these two drugs and others like them.


I can only speak for myself from years ago.

I used Methocarbamol for a horse that had pulled a muscle which were typically in the hind end. That and a couple of weeks of jogging the wrong way, a tens unit or ultra sound machine, electric blanket, whatever can take care of that. But no clue why any trainer would want to run a horse on a muscle relaxer on purpose. Makes no sense too me.

I never used Acepromazine. My mentor would not stand for it in the barn. He was right.
Funny thing was, almost every other barn where I knew people they all seemed to have it. They always said, a certain horse needs it because he or she is too difficult to shoe without it. So they would put it in the feed tub. How stupid was that? None of mine were ever too tough to shoe that they needed a tranquilizer. If a horse needed that for a reason, you called the vet and gave the horse a shot knowing that the horse would not be running until well after it cleared the system. Personally, I always thought and still do that anyone that has that in there barn was crazy. It's like they were asking for a problem.

Now if it was to get your horse beat? I'm not the guy to ask.

Hope that helps.

[VeryOldMan]

Good to see you back, Ruffian1.

[Ruffian1]

Good to see you back, Ruffian1.

Thank you Sir.

[dilanesp]

Another one bites the dust.

https://www.drf.com/news/milton-pineda-suspended-12-years-fined-100k-horseracing-integrity-and-welfare-unit