An official from 1/ST Racing and another from the California Horse Racing Board reported May 24 with no updates on coach Richard Baltas’ participation status and a CHRB investigation into the wound. scratch of one of his horses occurred at Santa Anita . Park May 8.
The days after the late scratches of Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran Noble reflection from the 10th race at Santa Anita . Parktrack operator 1 / ST Racing announced that Baltas will not be able to race or ride at Santa Anita and other race tracks operated by the company, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Late scratches occur for any number of reasons, including non-healing, illness and pre-race treatment violations. California has some of the strictest pre-race treatment rules of any jurisdiction, limiting drug treatment to 24 hours for Lasix. Within that time frame, the CHRB regulations state that “only water may be used to rinse the horse’s mouth on race day” and that “drugs, pharmaceuticals or any other substance may not be used”.
Regulators and courts consider trainers the absolute underwriters of their horses, which means they can be sanctioned for the actions of employees or other parties.
Within minutes published on the CHRB website, stewards reported Noble Reflection as a “manager’s scratch” on the May 8 card, which differed in their notation from other horses drawn for being a “also qualified,” “sick vet,” or “injured vet.”
Aidan Butler, chief executive officer of 1/ST Racing, in a text message on Tuesday wrote that “there are no updates on our part” and directed further inquiries to the CHRB.
“Santa Anita shared (video) footage with managers about (the circumstances of the scratch), and some additional footage afterward,” said CHRB chief executive Scott Chaney. “We appreciate the evidence they have shared about possible regulatory violations, pending our investigation. We do not comment on pending investigations.
“We know that Mr. Baltas has agreed not to enter or work with horses while this investigation is pending. And we clearly agree that timeliness is important. We know that. , but we want to make sure we do a thorough investigation before filing any claims if that’s what we found out.”
Since the time of the 1/ST Racing action, the horses from the Baltas barn in California have been turned over to other trainers, although Baltas ran three horses May 13-15 at Churchill Downs, where he holds another division of athletes in Kentucky. He also has Cover me up participate in the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park May 30.
Unlike sanctions issued by regulators, which are respected for reciprocity, private party suspensions rarely extend beyond the operator that issued the order.
Chaney said the CHRB does not have the authority to temporarily suspend a licensee after a case involving a short-suspended jockey was overturned in California Superior Court.
When asked to comment on the length of the investigation, even though the regulator owns the video regarding what led to the scratch, Chaney said, “Speed is important, but so is accuracy. “
He declined to discuss the specifics of the Baltas investigation but said investigations often take time due to interviews with personnel, checks and the requirement for 10 days notice of complaints. appeal before the hearing.
Baltas and his attorney, Darrell Vienna, declined to comment.
