RMTC
By Frank Angst
Kentucky stewards have suspended trainer Brendan Walsh for 10 days after multiple non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were found in post-race tests of Saham after his third-place finish in the Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT) April 15 at Keeneland.
In test results from official Kentucky Horse Racing Commission laboratory LGC Science and confirmed in a second sample at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, it was determined that Saham had concentrations of one NSAID above the primary threshold and two others above the secondary threshold.
Like many states Kentucky has rules in place to discourage use of multiple NSAIDs, a practice known as stacking. The blood tests found ketoprofen at 17 nanograms per milliliter (above the primary threshold), flunixin at 7.6 ng/ml (above the secondary threshold) and phenylbutazone at .82 micrograms per milliliter (above the secondary threshold).
The stewards’ ruling reported that Walsh waived his right to a formal hearing and will be suspended from July 5-July 14 and fined $500. Owner Sultan Bin Mishal was informed that Saham will be disqualified from his third-place finish and lose his $10,000 in purse money. The disqualification also means that Saham will lose his lone stakes-placing to date.
With the disqualification, Tom Van Meter, Bradley Scott, and James Slugantz’s Top of the Page will be placed third, the first stakes placing for the son of Parading.
Now owned by Chad Schumer, Saham, a 3-year-old Lemon Drop Kid colt, is entered in an allowance race June 26 on the turf at Churchill Downs.
