Skip to Content Accessibility Information

April 2017 Thoroughbred Rulings - Maryland Racing Commission

April 2, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-043 In the matter of stable employee Eduardo Rodriguez
, subject of Stewards Ruling #17-
006, dated February 2, 2017.
On April 2, 2017, Eduardo Rodriguez was represented by HCP Coordinator, Jessica Hammond, before the Stewards, for a hearing on his request to be reinstated to good standing. The HCP coordinator provided the results of drug tests and an evaluation from Adult Personal & Career Counseling indicating that Mr. Rodriguez is presently drug free and not a detriment to the best interests of racing. She recommended that he be reinstated to good standing and permitted to return to work subject to the following stipulation:

That at the Stewards discretion he submit to drug testing by the HCP Coordinator, the Stewards, or their designated representative. [COMAR 09.10.03.05.]
.
In light of the above, the Stewards hereby order that Eduardo Rodriguez be reinstated to good standing subject to the above-stated stipulation.

April 2, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-044 In the matter of La Surestada Stable Inc.
, subject, of Steward’s Ruling #17- 013 dated
February 11, 2017.
Having satisfied their financial obligation to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account as of April 1, 2017, owner La Surestada Stable Inc. is reinstated to good standing with the Maryland Racing Commission and declared eligible to participate in racing.

April 5, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-045 Jockey, Steve Hamilton, is fined one hundred dollars ( $100.)
for failure to put forth every effort in riding his mount, “E Takes the Lead”, out to the finish, by standing up prior to the wire, in the third race at Laurel Park on April 1, 2017.
[Violation of COMAR 09.10.01.21-1 Q (1) (2)]

April 5, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-046 In the matter of trainer Anthony Farrior
, subject of Stewards’ Ruling #17-037 dated March 24, 2017.
Trainer Farrior having filed an appeal with the Maryland Racing Commission of the penalties imposed upon him by the Stewards in Ruling #17-037, is hereby granted a stay of these penalties, pending a Commission hearing on his appeal.

April 9, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-047 In the matter of owner, Norris Gelman
, subject, of Steward’s Ruling #15- 086 dated March 11, 2015.
Having satisfied his financial obligation to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account as of April 8, 2017, owner Norris Gelman is reinstated to good standing with the Maryland Racing Commission and declared eligible to participate in racing.

April 9, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-048 Owner, Roman Casteneda-Jimenez
having been duly notified to appear before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 9, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-049 Owner, Cesar Magdaleno-Jimenez
having been duly notified to appear before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 9, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-050 Owner, Inmer De Jesus Barrientos
having been duly notified to appear before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 9, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-054 Owner, Cesar Magdaleno-Jimenez
having appeared before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application is restored to good standing pending further investigation.

April 15, 2017- Laurel Park
#17-051 Owner, Frederico Barrientos having been duly notified to appear
before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 15, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-052 Owner, Silvino Vasquez having been duly notified to appear
before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 15, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-053 Owner, Fidencio Perez-Secaida having been duly notified to appear
before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 15, 2017- Laurel Park
#17-055 In the fifth race, at Laurel Park on April 9, 2017
, horse #11 “Dare to Be”, ridden by jockey, Katie Davis was disqualified from fourth position and placed sixth for coming out, at about the 1/8th pole, in front of #10 “Grace Is Ready” without sufficient clearance and then continuing to carry that horse out, causing the rider to have to check his horse and alter course.
[Violation under COMAR 09.10.01.50, A (1)a, b, d & e , which states in pertinent parts: “A horse may not: (a) Carry another horse in or out, (b) Cross in front of another horse without sufficient clearance, (d) Intimidate another horse, or (e) Impede another horse.]

April 15, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-056 Jockey, Katie Davis, is suspended three (3) Maryland racing days
, April 21, 22 & 23, 2017, for riding the horse “Dare to Be” in a careless manner in the fifth race at Laurel Park on April 9, 2017, thereby causing the disqualification of “Dare to Be” from fourth to sixth position.
[COMAR 09.10.01.50, §A(2)(b) and §C.]

At about the 1/8th pole, Ms Davis moved her horse #11 “Dare to Be” out, in front of #10 “Grace Is Ready” without sufficient clearance and then continued to carry that horse out, causing the rider to have to check his horse and alter course.

However, jockey Davis has designated the “Sugar Maple” stake, to be run at Charles Town Race Track on April 22, 2017. The Stewards have granted her request to ride in the other Stakes that day to which she is named on; in as much as jockey Davis will serve an additional day of suspension on April 28, 2017.
[COMAR 09.10.01.45AA (2)(c)(d)].

[Violation under COMAR 09.10.01.50, A(1) a,b,d & e, which states, in pertinent parts: "A horse may not: (a) Carry another horse in or out, (b) Cross or weave in front of another horse without sufficient clearance, (d) Intimidate another horse, or (e) Impede another horse.]

April 15, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-057 Jockey, Taylor Hole, is fined five hundred dollars ($500.)
for failure to put forth every effort in riding his mount, “Connemara Coast”, out to the finish, by standing up prior to the wire, in the eighth race at Laurel Park on April 9, 2017.
[Violation of COMAR 09.10.01.21-1 Q (1) (2)]

April 16, 2017- Laurel Park
#17-058 Owner, Arnoldo Perez-Secaida having been duly notified to appear
before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 16, 2017- Laurel Park
#17-059 Owner, Martin Salomon- Herrera, Jr. having been duly notified to appear
before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 16, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-060 Owner, Ottoniel Vasquez-Gudiel having been duly notified to appear
before the Stewards concerning falsifying his license application and having failed to appear is hereby suspended pending his appearance.

April 16, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-061 Jockey, Julien Pimentel, is fined two hundred dollars ($200.)
for excessive use of the riding crop in the fifth race at Laurel Park on April 14, 2017.
[Violation of COMAR 09.10.01.21-1 Q (1) (2)]

April 16, 2017- Laurel Park
#17-062 In the fifth race, at Laurel Park on April 15, 2017, horse #1 “Boppin Anda Weavin”, ridden by jockey Alex Cintron was disqualified
from first position and placed third, behind horse #9 “Cort’n Asong”, ridden by jockey Horacio Karamanos. Straightening into the lane, #1 “Boppin AndaWeavin” suddenly ducked out into the path of #9 “Cort’n Asong”, forcing the rider to check sharply and alter course.
[Violation under COMAR 09.10.01.50, A (1)a, b, d & e , which states in pertinent parts: “A horse may not: (a) Carry another horse in or out,(b) Cross or weave in front of another horse without sufficient clearance, (d) Intimidate another horse, or (e) Impede another horse.]

OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH:

1st Top Prospect
2nd Cort’n Asong
3rd Boppin Anda Weavin

April 28, 2017- Laurel Park
#17-063 Owner Wesley A. Ward, having failed to pay a fee in the amount of five hundred and five dollars ($505.00), to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-064 Owner Monster Racing Stables, having failed to pay a fee in the amount of two hundred and twenty dollars ($220.00), to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017- Laurel Park
#17-065 Owner Glockenburg LLC, having failed to pay a fee in the amount of six hundred dollars ($600.00)
, to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-066 Owner Slam Dunk Racing, having failed to pay a fee in the amount of seventy dollars ($70.00)
, to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-067 Owner Jason L. Whitson, having failed to pay a fee in the amount of one hundred and fifteen dollars ($115.00)
, to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-068 Owner Allen P. Peterson, having failed to pay a fee in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200.00)
, to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-069 Owner Timothy M. Collins, having failed to pay a fee in the amount of one hundred and fifteen dollars ($115.00)
, to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-070 Owner Odin J. Londono, Jr., having failed to pay a fee in the amount of three hundred and eighty dollars ($380.00)
, to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-071 Owner Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith, having failed to pay a fee in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200.00), to the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, is hereby precluded from participating in racing until said fee has been paid.
[COMAR 09.10.01.59, G.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-072 Exercise rider, Molly Moran, is fined Twenty-five dollars ($25.)
for causing a dangerous situation on the racetrack at Pimlico on April 24, 2017. Ms. Moran is also forbidden to be on the racetrack until May 16, 2017.
[COMAR 09.10.01.45,H.]

April 28, 2017 - Laurel Park
#17-073 On March 1, 2017, the Stewards received notice from the Truesdail Laboratories, Inc. that urine sample #20952, dated February 10, 2017, contained the drug dextrorphan which is not on the approved list of Controlled Therapeutic Substances for the Maryland Racing Commission. The Stewards established that urine sample #20952 was taken from the horse “Story Spinner”, owned by Mary E. Eppler Racing Stable, Inc. and Adam Staple and trained by Mary E. Eppler, following the running of the second race at Laurel Park on February 10, 2017. The Stewards notified Ms. Eppler that: (1) the presence of dextrorphan in the system of “Story Spinner” at the time the horse ran constituted a violation under COMAR 09.10.03.04 Drug Prohibition - Horses; (2) She had the right to have the split sample tested by an independent laboratory prior to the Stewards conducting a hearing in this matter; and (3) She had the right to be represented by counsel at the hearing.

Ms. Eppler exercised her right to the split sample testing. (COMAR 09.10.03.09 H 1, 2, & 3)

Upon receiving conformation from Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory that dextrorphan was present in sample #20952 dated February 10, 2017, at a quantity level of 2.5 ng/ml, the Stewards held a hearing regarding this result on April 28, 2017. Ms. Eppler waived her right to legal counsel.

Based upon the evidence before them, the Stewards find the following:

  1. Story Spinner” did carry dextrorphan in its system when it finished first in the second race at Laurel Park on February 10, 2017, a violation under COMAR 09.10.03.04, Section C;
  2. Mary E. Eppler, as trainer, was the absolute insurer of, and responsible for, the condition of “Story Spinner” at the time the horse ran (Sections D & F) ;
  3. A horse found to have carried a drug in its body during a race may be disqualified and the purse monies earned by that horse redistributed; and
  4. An individual found to have violated these Regulations may be subject to a fine issued by the Stewards of up to $2,500 and a suspension of any license issued by the Maryland Racing Commission of up to 360 days. COMAR 09.10.03.02, Section A.

Based upon the evidence presented at the hearing, the Stewards hereby order that:

  1. Trainer Mary E. Eppler, be fined in the amount of Five Hundred dollars ($500.).
  2. Trainer Mary E. Eppler will be assigned two (2) Multiple Medication Violation Points.
    [COMAR 09.10.03.02 C]
  3. The horse “Story Spinner”, be disqualified from the second race on February 10, 2017 at
    Laurel Park.
  4. The Horsemen’s Bookkeeper redistribute all purse monies for that race in accordance
    with the following order:

OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH

1st Beltway Bob
2nd Barin
3rd Don’t Poke the Cat
4th New Material
5th Rodon
6th Survoyant

Story Spinner- unplaced