Trainer Pineda Suspended 15 Years, Fined $195,000

Trainer Milton Pineda has been suspended 15 years and fined $180,000 plus an additional $15,000 for the cost of arbitrational services by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit. The punishments were posted on HIWU's website March 13. 

The arbitrator, Judge Nancy Holtz, found Pineda guilty of seven rule violations—positive tests for diisopropylamine, a banned substance. The positive tests were from seven horses who ran at Santa Anita Park and Los Alamitos Race Course last summer. 

Diisopropylamine is a vasodilator, which dilates blood vessels.

In addition to the fines—$25,000 for each instance, $15,000 for the arbitration cost, and $5,000 for aggravating circumstances—Pineda was also given a two-year suspension for each instance and another year for the aggravating circumstances. His period of ineligibility began March 14 and ends March 14, 2038.

He was initially given a provisional suspension from July 6, 2023 through July 5, 2035. But after his case was heard by the arbitration panel, the overall suspension was lengthened and began Thursday.  

The aggravating circumstances are that Pineda was found guilty of "program training" or providing instructions to trainer Salvador Naranjo and former Pineda groom Filberto Alvarado whom Pineda had transferred the horses to during his provisional suspension. 

Holtz, in the ruling, wrote that Pineda "did participate in activity involving the Covered Horses." This, she wrote, was "proven by substantial evidence that is assessed in its totality."

The horses who tested positive under his care are Bella Renella , Flatterwithjewels , Big Splash , Chollima , Wegonahavagoodtime , Catbernay , and Keep Your Coil .

In the ruling, Pineda claimed he "never knowingly or intentionally administered" diisopropylamine to his horses. He said that any amount of the substance found in the urine samples of the covered horses "must have come from a contaminated source, whether that be in the feed supplements he fed his horses or the use of hand sanitizers by Doping Control Officers at the testing barns."

Pineda also claimed that the chain of custody of certain samples "was not done in a way to preserve the integrity of the samples" and that Bella Renella's B-Sample "was not properly conducted."

In the ruling, Holtz wrote, "Despite Mr. Pineda's challenge to the chain of custody, the Arbitrator finds that it fails at the first step, as he has not established any departure from the Laboratory Standards."

HIWU argued that Pineda "flagrantly disregarded the (Anti-Doping and Medication Control) Program by breaching his Provisional Suspension and prior Ineligibility, and also exhibited deceptive or obstructive conduct by refusing to allow HIWU investigators to search his phone."

All of the horses were disqualified from the races in question and all prize money is to be returned.