By: Press Release

SACRAMENTO, CA – This is an update of complaints, stewards’ rulings, and Board decisions involving Class 1, 2, and 3 medication violations and other significant matters.

The CHRB filed complaints against trainer Gerardo Amezcua and owner Ricardo Sepulveda alleging violation of CHRB Rules 1843 (a), (b), and (d), 1843.1, and 1844 (e)(6) pursuant to Rule 1887 after the Maddy Laboratory at UC Davis determined samples collected from two quarter horses trained by Amezcua and owned by Sepulveda – Balboa Dasher and Truly Censored – contained clenbuterol. Clenbuterol is a beta-2 agonist bronchodilator. These are Class 3 violations. Balboa Dasher finished second in the fifth race at Los Alamitos on November 29, 2015. Truly Censored finished second in the fourth race at Los Alamitos on November 15, 2015. The stewards at Los Alamitos have scheduled hearings on February 12 for both Amezcua and Sepulveda.

The Stewards at Santa Anita suspended trainer Tim Yakteen for seven days and fined him $3,000 after the Board adopted the stewards’ proposed decision during executive session December 17 and remanded the case back to the stewards to issue a ruling. Yakteen has found to have violated CHRB Rules 1843 (a), (b), (d) and 1844 (e)(1) pursuant to Rule 1887 after the Maddy Laboratory at UC Davis determined the urine sample collected from a horse in his care, Big Book, contained a metabolite of acepromazine in excess of the regulatory threshold permitted for urine. Acepromazine is a commonly used tranquilizer in horses. This is a Class 3 drug with a Category B penalty. Big Book finished first in the third race at Del Mar on July 25, 2015. The stewards at Los Alamitos disqualified Big Book and ordered the redistribution of the purse. Yakteen served his suspension January 11-17.