BC Bans O'Neill From Pre-Entering Horses
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Breeders' Cup said Oct. 3 it will not permit trainer Doug O'Neill to pre-enter horses for this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships "due to recent administrative action" in New York.
The New York State Gaming Commission earlier said O'Neill entered into a settlement agreement under which he will be suspended 45 days and fined $10,000 after the horse Wind of Bosphorus tested positive for the drug oxazepam, a metabolite of the muscle relaxant diazepam, following a victory in the second race at Belmont Park June 2, 2013.
As part of the agreement, the suspension will not begin until Nov. 3, two days following the Breeders' Cup in California. The suspension ends Dec. 18.
O'Neill agreed to an additional 45-day suspension if any horse trained by him tests positive for a Class 1, 2, or 3 medication in any pari-mutuel jurisdiction on or before Dec. 18, 2015. The California Horse Racing Board is looking into whether O'Neill violated terms of earlier agreement with it following an August 2010 violation for a higher-than-permitted threshold of total carbon dioxide. He was extended an 18-month probation in that case when suspended May 29, 2012.
Breeders' Cup president and chief executive officer Craig Fravel, in announcing the ban, cited an organization rule concerning such situations.
"Due to the recent administrative action by the New York State Gaming Commission, Breeders' Cup has informed trainer Doug O'Neill, and has notified the California Horse Racing Board, of the provisions of the Breeders' Cup Convicted Trainers rule. Under that rule, adopted in 2010 and amended in 2012, Mr. O'Neill will not be permitted to pre-enter horses in the 2014 Breeders' Cup World Championships," Fravel said in a statement.
The rule is as follows:
No person may participate as a trainer of a horse pre-entered or entered in a Breeders' Cup World Championships race if that person, during the 12 months preceding the Breeders' Cup World Championships, has been found by any racing regulatory agency, whether a governmental agency or a non-governmental regulatory body, to have violated a racing regulation prohibiting the possession or use of any substance listed under Class 1, carrying Category "A" or "B" penalties, or Class 2, carrying a Category "A" penalty, in the Association of Racing Commissioners International Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances or a racing regulation prohibiting the possession or use of steroids and the appeal periods for such finding shall have expired or all appeals, if any, will have received final disposition (a "Drug Conviction").
O'Neill said by text that he was not aware of the Breeders' Cup's action so he could not comment, but noted he will be contacting his attorney. Among the horses he planned to run in Breeders' Cup races are Goldencents and Private Zone.