Delaware: Stolen horses, unlicensed participants, and more from stewards
![Eons1 Eons](https://www.theracingbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Eons1.jpg)
Photo by Allison Janezic.
The Delaware Park stewards have been busy since the close of the 2019 meet October 5. As always, there a medication positives being called, altercations to be sorted out, and misunderstandings to resolve.
Of course, many of the rulings are garden-variety issues: a mix-up with licensing, a small fine not paid in a timely manner.
Others are bigger. In fact, three industry participants are looking at suspensions ranging from months to years.
The longest of those is the five-year term given to Leonel Garcia, Sr. Garcia — described in the stews’ ruling as an “unlicensed racing participant” — received a five-year suspension after being found “negligent and contribut[ing] to the death” of a horse named Indy’s Quick Image following a race at Parx Racing October 12. Indy’s Quick Image, owned by Lucerito Garcia-Colon, never won in 12 career starts.
Owner-trainer Gerald James got whacked with a one-year suspension October 8 for the “alleged theft of the horse Wise Twitter.” James is alleged to have seized the horse from owner JD Farms and had its name changed — to Actspectation — with The Jockey Club. Curious about Actspectation? He has a win and a third from three starts.
Also, the Thoroughbred Daily News reports that trainer Anthony Pecoraro and owner East Coast Partners are appealing a November 25 ruling that they be suspended for six months for the unauthorized use of shockwave therapy on a horse, Glencairn, who suffered a catastrophic injury August 5 in a race at Delaware.
There also were a number of trainers who received fines for minor medication violations.
- Trainer Baltazar Galvan was found to have committed a “stacking violation” when his trainee Devastating Move had flunixin and phenylbutazone in its system. Galvan was fined for the violation.
- Ranger’s Coming, trained by Anthony Russo, was found to have an overage of phenylbutazone after winning an October 2 race, for which Russo was fined.
- Trainer-owner Robert Raymond received a written warning after his horse Caught Up In You, a winner on October 3, was found to have isoxsuprine in its system.
- Hopeful Treasure, winner of the sixth race on closing day, October 5, was found to have dextrorphan in its system, which the stews found to be a result of contamination rather than a deliberate application and thus knocked the penalty on trainer Michael Pino down to one point on the multiple medication violation system and a written warning.
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