Awaiting Hearing, Baltas Denied Relief by CA Court

A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge denied a request by trainer Richard Baltas to force the California Horse Racing Board to allow him to enter horses at the recently concluded Los Alamitos Race Course afternoon Thoroughbred meet that ran June 25-July 10.

Stewards at Los Alamitos had denied his entries June 28, according to CHRB public information officer Mike Marten, with the CHRB citing rules that for good cause, stewards may refuse entries or those of any person. 

The fast-moving case began June 29 when Baltas, through legal counsel, filed a petition for a writ of mandate, also known as a writ of mandamus, which is a court order directing a government official or agency to perform an act required by law.

In this case, the government agency is CHRB. Baltas asked the court to allow him to enter horses in races pending resolution of a complaint filed June 21 by CHRB against the trainer alleging his employees were caught administering higenamine and paeonol to 23 horses under his care. Among medications and supplements, horses in California can only receive on race day the diuretic Lasix, which is used to prevent respiratory bleeding. The complaint referred to surveillance video taken between April 15 and May 8.

A complaint differs from a stewards' ruling in that it is an alleged violation that has not been adjudicated.  

CHRB fired back with counter-filings first thing on July 1, and a hearing was held at 8:30 that morning. Judge Mary H. Strobel sided with CHRB in an order entered the same day, ruling that granting the writ would be against the public interest.

Strobel ordered a preliminary injunction hearing for July 28, but at Baltas' request, the hearing was taken off the court calendar. Legal aspects of the case may be quiet until a hearing on the CHRB complaint takes place, scheduled Aug. 3. The Del Mar meeting runs from July 22 to Sept. 11. A conference to set a trial date in the Superior Court case filed by Baltas is scheduled for Sept. 29.

Baltas' troubles started at Santa Anita Park, where the allegedly offending videos were captured. BloodHorse reported May 12 that Baltas, 60, was unable to race or breeze horses at Santa Anita and other tracks owned by 1/ST Racing pending the completion of an investigation. Following the CHRB investigation, Baltas was charged with 47 violations of regulations.

According to the United States Anti-Doping Agency, higenamine is a stimulant that is classified as a beta-2 agonist. Paeonol, according to the National Library of Medicine, has been used for decades as an anti-inflammatory for people.

Baltas, who had operated one of the top stables in California, has not raced in the state since he was banned by 1/ST Racing. Many of the horses in his stable were transferred to other trainers.

He ran a small number of horses in Kentucky and Texas in May and June.