Trainer Wayne Potts has been suspended for 45 days by the New York Gaming Commission due to a finding of a drug in his Belmont Park tackroom that has not been approved by the Federal Drug Administration for use with Thoroughbred race horses.
The April 3 ruling by the NYGC did not list the name of the drug.
Potts, who waived his right to an appeal, will be suspended from April 10-May 6 and then from June 6-23. The gap in the two suspensions avoids conflicting with Potts' upcoming 30-day suspension in New Jersey from May 7-June 5 due to an overage of the medication Banamine in a June 2021 race at Monmouth Park, where he was the leading trainer a year ago.
Earlier, Potts was denied stalls by the New York Racing Association for the current Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet and the following Belmont Park spring/summer meet. As a result, Potts vacated his stalls at Belmont Park and is ineligible to claim at either Aqueduct or Belmont Park.
Potts has 21 wins from 76 starts in 2022, giving him a 28% win rate. He also has 15 seconds and 11 thirds for an in-the-money rate of 62%.
