Trainer Robertino Diodoro was fined $500 and will have to forfeit around $70,000 in purses from five wins and a second in March at Turf Paradise because of controlled medication violations discovered in postrace tests, according to Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit notifications.
The highest-profile forfeiture is for the win by Saline River in the $50,000 Cotton Fitzsimmons Handicap run March 21. Owned by Charles Garvey, the 6-year-old gelding won by 5 3/4 lengths and earned $30,000 for the victory that would have been his first black-type stakes win. Saline River got disqualified after testing positive for phenylbutazone, an anti-inflammatory and analgesic medication commonly known as bute.
The other violations involve:
- Maltese Falcon, a 6-year-old gelding who won a $19,000 allowance optional claiming race March 11 and earned $11,780 for Rockingham Ranch. The gelding was claimed after this race by Juan Pablo Silva for Tijuana Racing Stables, which ran him in the Cotton Fitzsimmons where he finished second. Maltese Falcon also tested positive for bute.
- Rocky Colavito, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Garvey, won a $17,000 maiden special weight March 10 at Turf Paradise. He earned $10,540 for the win. The gelding tested positive for the corticosteroid triamcinolone.
- White Peony, a 4-year-old filly owned by Norman Tremblay won a $10,000 maiden claiming race March 16 at Turf Paradise and earned $6,200. White Peony tested positive for bute and flunixin, an anti-inflammatory and analgesic known by the brand name Banamine.
- Mrazek's Old Dream, a 4-year-old filly owned by Garvey, ran second in a $11,500 claiming race March 25 at Turf Paradise and earned $2,185. The filly tested positive for bute and flunixin.
- Big Pop, a 5-year-old mare owned by Debra McComas, won a $15,000 starter optional claimer March 30 at Turf Paradise and earned $9,300. The mare also tested positive for bute and flunixin.
All these incidences were combined and treated as one violation. HIWU records indicate Diodoro admitted to the rule violations and accepted the consequences. In addition to the $500 fine and forfeiture, the trainer received 1.5 penalty points that can lead to receiving more severe penalties for any future rule violations.
