Veteran trainer Scott Lake was assessed a suspension of 120 days – twice what was originally reported – by the Maryland Racing Commission as the result of horses in his care testing positive for an anabolic steroid.
Mike Hopkins, the MRC’s executive director, said Wednesday that the commission had clarified the penalties handed to Lake. Hopkins said that Lake received a 60-day suspension, which begins Thursday, for the positive for stanozolol in races in December at Laurel.
The Maryland positive and penalty coupled with a previous positive in Pennsylvania pushed Lake over a points threshold in the Multiple Medication Violation Penalty System, automatically adding a second 60-day suspension. The suspensions must be served consecutively, producing a four-month ban.
Maryland has adopted the National Uniform Medication Program, which Includes additional sanctions for multiple violations.
Maryland trainer Hector Garcia also received a stiffer suspension, 13 months, for his three stanozolol positives and a fourth for the sedative xylazine, according to the multiple medication violation guidelines. Garcia was filling in for trainer Juan Vazquez, who was serving a 90-day suspension for an altercation at Delaware Park.
Garcia and Vazquez have been ordered by the Maryland Jockey Club to remove thier horses from MJC property.
