Trainer Jose Corrales hit with 2-year suspension
Had runner test positive for nikethamide
Frank Vespe
October 4, 2026
Veteran Maryland trainer Jose Corrales has received a two-year suspension from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), which implements the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s medication control program.
The suspension began Oct. 3.
Reached by phone, Corrales declined to comment but said he planned to appeal.
This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no extra charge to you.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
The suspension arose when Curlene’s Spirit, a three-year-old filly Corrales then trained for owner-breeders Barak Farm and Sharon Dodgen, tested positive for nikethamide following a Feb. 20 race. Nikethamide is a stimulant mainly affecting the respiratory cycle, and its use in racehorses is prohibited.
Curlene’s Spirit was disqualified from purse earnings, according to the ruling, and suspended for 60 days. She now is trained by Jeffrey Poole for Danny Lee Linville after they claimed her for $16,000 July 16.
Corrales received the two-year ban and a $10,000 fine.
Corrales, 66, has been involved in racing for more than 50 years as a jockey and now as a trainer. As a trainer he has won 727 races in a career that began in 1991 while generating more than $20 million in purse earnings. His trainee Something Awesome won two graded stakes in 2018.
A native of Panama, Corrales has also been known for his work mentoring young riders, most recently up-and-coming star Yedsit Hazlewood.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
LATEST NEWS
