Dutrow to be Suspended

Tweet Add another blemish to the Dutrow legend. ESPN is reporting this morning that Trainer Richard Dutrow will be suspended for fifteen days for exceeding the limit (doubled) on an approved medication called Clenbuterol on Salute the Count, a horse who placed second in an $100K Oaks Day stakes race at Churchill Downs. The purse money of $20,000 will also have to be returned. He has been suspended for drugs ("doping issues") for nine consecutive years now. "Clenbuterol is an approved medication in horses. The bronchodilator increases lung capacity, though it has steroidal properties. It is illegal to administer it on race day, but states vary on the length of time beforehand that it can be administered. In New York, for example, it cannot be administered within 96 hours of race day. In Kentucky, the length of time is 72 hours." Tough to teach an old dog new tricks I guess.

It's a tough news day for racing with the well-reported Jeremy Rose suspension that is covered here and here within the TBA. Not what the sport needs right now. This will certainly be further exploited by the PETA folks and is a total black eye for the sport.

Why athletes feel the need to call out others, like the well-publicized Shaq attack on Kobe, always gets me. Don't they realize what these folks say has a bigger impact than they realize. I have always been a huge Shaq fan, but was not very happy with his performance reported on TMZ.com. I'm not a Kobe fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I hope he lays low, stays under the radar and let's the topic blow over, the damage is done and Shaq looks stupid, no reason for him to jump in. Ok, I'm off my soap box now.

Congrats to WNY-based Bella Cavello Stables on their victory Monday by Gold Marie in the 9th, a $10K claimer, at Colonial Downs. Gold Marie (by Golden Missile, out of Cherry Flambe) paid $7.40 as the second choice and won by 4 lengths. The stable has Gregson (3rd race) and Coal Valley (4th race) both running tomorrow at Monmouth Park and La Chica Rica (9th race) running on Friday night at Mountaineer. Congrats and good luck.