Trainers McBurney, Penaloza to Serve 15-Day Suspensions

In rulings published April 12 on the Association of Racing Commissioners International website, Monmouth Park stewards issued $500 fines and 15-day suspensions to trainers Pat McBurney and Miguel Penaloza for medication infractions with their horses during the 2021 meet there. Both trainers' suspensions run May 7-21.

McBurney was cited for Nova Supersport , a horse he also owns, testing positive for 3-hydroxylidocaine, a metabolite of lidocaine, in the 13th race Aug. 21, a $30,000 non-winners-of-two claiming race. She has been disqualified, resulting in forfeiture of $18,000 in earnings from the race, the ruling indicated. She won the race as the favorite.

The Penaloza-trained Lil Miss Hotshot , who finished second in a $12,500 claiming race June 5, showed the prohibited presence of dexamethosone in her post-race sample. Last June, Junior Orantes owned Lil Miss Hotshot, who was disqualified from second and placed last. She went off at odds of 5-1.

Lidocaine is a local anesthetic used in equine medicine and available in over-the-counter products for humans in pain relief products. Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory. According to ARCI, lidocaine is a class 2 drug in penalty class B, while dexamethasone is a class 4 medication in penalty class C.

Dexamethasone violations are among the most common medication infractions.

New Jersey stewards regularly issue suspensions to coincide with the start of the next Monmouth Park meet, which runs from spring through fall.