Investigation Ongoing Into Scratch of Baltas Horse

An official from 1/ST Racing and another with the California Horse Racing Board reported May 24 no updates to the participation status for trainer Richard Baltas and a CHRB investigation into the scratch of one of his horses that occurred at Santa Anita Park May 8. In the days after the late scratch of Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran's Noble Reflection from the 10th race at Santa Anita Park, track operator 1/ST Racing announced Baltas would be unable to race or breeze horses at Santa Anita and other tracks operated by the company, pending the results of an investigation. Late scratches occur for any number of reasons, including for unsoundness, illness, and pre-race treatment infractions. California has some of the strictest pre-race treatment rules of any jurisdiction, limiting medication treatment within 24 hours to Lasix. Within that window, CHRB regulations state that "only water may be used to wash the horse's mouth on race day" and "drugs, medications, or any other substances may not be administered." Regulators and courts regard trainers as the absolute insurers of their horses, meaning they can be sanctioned for the actions of employees or other parties. In minutes published on the CHRB website, stewards reported Noble Reflection as a "stewards' scratch" on the May 8 card, differing in their notations from other horses withdrawn for being an "also-eligible," "veterinarian-sick," or "veterinarian-injured." Aidan Butler, 1/ST Racing's chief operating officer, in a Tuesday text message wrote there is "no update from our side" and directed further inquiries to the CHRB. "Santa Anita shared (video) footage with the stewards with respect to (the circumstances of the scratch), and some additional footage beyond that," CHRB executive director Scott Chaney said. "We appreciate the evidence they shared of possible regulatory violations, pending our investigation. We don't comment on pending investigations. "We are aware that Mr. Baltas has agreed not to enter or work horses while this investigation is pending. And we obviously agree timeliness is important. We're aware of that, but we want to make sure we have a thorough investigation before filing any complaints if that is what we discover." Since the time of the 1/ST Racing action, horses from within Baltas' stable in California have been transferred to other trainers, though Baltas ran three horses May 13-15 at Churchill Downs, where he keeps another division of runners in Kentucky. He also has Cover Me Up entered in the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park May 30. Unlike sanctions issued by regulators, which are honored due to reciprocity, a private-party suspension rarely extends beyond the operator that issued it. Chaney said the CHRB does not have the authority to summarily suspend a licensee after a case involving a summarily suspended jockey was overturned in California Superior Court. Asked to comment on the length of the investigation, despite the regulator possessing video pertaining to what led to the scratch, Chaney said, "Speed is important, but so is accuracy." He declined to discuss circumstances specific to the Baltas investigation but said investigations generally take time due to interviews with personnel, testing, and a 10-day notice requirement when a complaint is filed in advance of a hearing. Baltas and his attorney, Darrell Vienna, declined comment.