KY Stewards Fine, Suspend Forster for Drug Violation

Kentucky stewards fined trainer Grant Forster $500 and suspended him 15 days after one of his starters, Epicurean , tested positive for gabapentin in a race at Churchill Downs last fall. A split sample confirmed the drug's presence, the stewards wrote in a March 12 ruling.

Gabapentin is a Class B violation in Kentucky. Medications in Class A have the greatest potential to impact performance, followed by those in B, C, and D. One of the gabapentin's uses in equines is for pain relief from laminitis.

Stewards chose to stay 15 days of an original 30-day suspension, citing "mitigating circumstances (number of violations in relation to overall record)," provided he has no Class A or Class B violations within 365 days of their ruling.

Forster's last medication violation was for a bute overage in 2005, according to Thoroughbredrulings.com.

His 15-day suspension is to be served March 28-April 11, the ruling stated.

Epicurean finished sixth in the seventh race Nov. 26 at Churchill, a maiden $20,000 race for owner Ten Broeck Farm. She has been disqualified, resulting in forfeiture of $630 in earnings.

Claimed from the Nov. 26 race by trainer Robertino Diodoro for owner Charles Garvey, the Speightster   filly later took a Jan. 21 maiden race at Sam Houston and ran second in a $20,000 claiming race March 6 at Oaklawn Park. She was again claimed, this time by trainer Bentley Combs for owner Ten Strike Racing