Oaklawn Handicap winner It's a Bird disqualified

DiscreetCatDiscreetCat Moderator
edited July 2009 in Horse Racing Forum
from Daily Racing Form:

The Arkansas Racing Commission on Tuesday disqualified It's a Bird from his win in the Grade 2, $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap and ordered the purse of the race redistributed after the horse tested positive for naproxen. The panel also fined Marty Wolfson, the trainer of It's a Bird, $500.

Mike Meuser, an attorney representing Edmund Gann, the owner of It's a Bird, and Wolfson, said he and his clients are determining whether or not to appeal the decision.

"We're disappointed with the forfeiture of the purse and we're going to have look at that hard to see what to do, if anything, relative to that," he said. "We're going to have to evaluate it."

If the decision that was issued on Tuesday is appealed, the case will move to circuit court.

Arkansas has a zero-tolerance policy on naproxen, which is a Class 4 medication violation. Naproxen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that is sold for human use under the brand name Aleve.

It's a Bird earned $300,000 for his six-length win in the Oaklawn Handicap on April 4. He is now unplaced in the race as a result of the disqualification, a move that elevates runner-up Runforthedoe to first place.

It's a Bird is one of the top handicap horses in the nation. He won the $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic in January, and following the Oaklawn Handicap won the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap. It's a Bird last raced on July 4, finishing seventh in the Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban at Belmont Park.

Comments

  • kingoftherapidkingoftherapid Senior Member
    edited July 2009
    yea i talked to the guy who tests the backside horses right after the race and he said this horse was a suspect for sure right after the race. I asked him w ho the best horse on the backside was and he said without a doubt RA. He said she would get done and not even be breathing hard. He said she didnd't even get a drink of water after her fantasy romp.
  • thebox138thebox138 Senior Member
    edited July 2009
    yea i talked to the guy who tests the backside horses right after the race and he said this horse was a suspect for sure right after the race. I asked him w ho the best horse on the backside was and he said without a doubt RA. He said she would get done and not even be breathing hard. He said she didnd't even get a drink of water after her fantasy romp.

    what exactly made this horse a "suspect" :nono:right after the race Im just curious to know what they look for was his pupils dialated or was his nuts gettin smaller could he not gallop a straight line? j/k
    Just really curious what could be something that made him look so obvious
  • kingoftherapidkingoftherapid Senior Member
    edited July 2009
    he didnt say. but my question to him was "do you ever have to watch some trainers closer than others?"
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