Baltas Court Petition to Set Aside Suspension Denied

A petition filed by trainer Richard Baltas seeking a court order directing the California Horse Racing Board to set aside a one-year suspension of his license has been denied in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The suspension occurred after video surveillance footage showed Baltas stable hands administering syringes with substances to 23 horses on race day at Santa Anita Park in April and May 2022. Investigator Corey Martinez concluded, based on his experience, that all 23 horses were administered a foreign substance with a syringe as opposed to having been administered an oral wash with water.

After the matter became public, Los Alamitos Race Course stewards refused entry by Baltas of two horses in late June 2022. Various temporary legal challenges were unsuccessful, and following a full hearing, the board of stewards issued a ruling in early December 2022 finding Baltas guilty of 21 violations. He was fined $10,000 and his license was suspended for one year effective Dec.  9, 2022.

The ruling by Judge Curtis Kin was handed down April 4. Baltas, in effect, served the suspension while the case was pending and has resumed training and racing horses.

Kin's order says Baltas "argues that he was selectively prosecuted...because 99% of trainers feed substances to their horses that are not allowed...but only petitioner was prosecuted." Kin found that Baltas did not demonstrate "CHRB's knowledge...which is necessary to demonstrate that the CHRB deliberately chose to ignore such other trainers' violations and solely prosecute petitioner."