by Paulick Report Staff

Owner-trainer Genaro O. Vallejo has been suspended 180 days by California Horse Racing Board stewards at Golden Gate Fields after Techwood, a Tiznow gelding owned by William Branch, tested positive for a metabolite of the tranquilizer Acepromazine above permitted levels on Aug. 28, 2014.

Techwood finished third in the maiden claiming race and was disqualified, with purse money redistributed.

Sixty days of the stipulated agreement between Vallejo and the stewards will be stayed, providing Vallejo have no further Class 1, 2 or 3 positives during a probationary period. Acepromazine is classified as a Class 3 drug under California Horse Racing Board guidelines.

Because this latest positive violated terms of a previous probationary period following a Class 1 drug violation for zilpaterol in 2012, Vallejo has been suspended an additional 60 days. The first suspension is to be served from Feb. 21-June 20, with the probation violation extending his ban from June 21-Aug. 19.

His next term of probation runs from Aug. 20, 2015, through Aug. 19, 2016. During the term of the suspension, all licenses and license privileges of Vallejo are suspended and he is denied access to all premises under the jurisdiction of the CHRB.

For Vallejo, this is the fifth CHRB ruling related to medication since 2013. Vallejo has a total of 10 medication violations since 2006, according to OwnerView.com.