THOROUGHBRED RACING : Tommy Richardson’s Long Career Comes to an End on a Bitter Note

A racing career of more than 50 years has ended in bitterness for Tommy Richardson. He was exonerated, sort of, last November in a serious horse-drugging case but is still awaiting the refund of the $1,000 fine that he paid.

“When the horse came back positive, I had to send them (the California Horse Racing Board) the $6,000 from the purse within 48 hours,” Richardson said.

Richardson, 74, owned and trained Fracoza, a 7-year-old California-bred gelding who tested positive for cocaine after winning a race for $12,500 claiming horses about 15 months ago at Hollywood Park. Besides losing the purse, Richardson was fined $1,000, given a stayed suspension of 90 days and put on probation for about 10 months.

Almost a year to the day that Fracoza ran, Richardson signed an agreement with the board that dismissed his penalties because of “ . . . insufficient evidence to find violations.”

Richardson would have been less embarrassed if state investigators had reached that conclusion before his reputation was sullied.

There have been dozens of cocaine positives from horses racing in California since 1988, with trainers Wayne Lukas, Roger Stein and the late Laz Barrera paying substantial legal fees to battle the charges. Most of the charges have been dismissed, and today, at the racing board’s monthly meeting, the case against trainer John Russell, which stems from a positive at Santa Anita almost two years ago, will be addressed by the board behind closed doors.

Barrera died last April, and his estate is continuing a wrongful-death suit against Truesdail Laboratories, which ran the positive test on his horse.

“Laz was burned out by his case,” Richardson said. “I would have done what he did (sued), but how could I spend $110,000 over a $6,000 pot?”

Richardson, now retired, might have had the smallest operation of any of the incriminated trainers.

The investigation into the Fracoza positive bears reviewing, because it shows the how the case was mounted against Richardson:

Nov. 21, 1990--On race day, the horse is vanned from Santa Anita to Hollywood Park, accompanied by a groom who worked for Richardson for more than 20 years.

Nov. 28--The horse’s test comes back positive for cocaine.

Dec. 8--State investigators go to Richardson’s barn at Santa Anita, advise him of the positive and search his one stall and tack room. They also search his car, and nothing suspicious is found. Richardson’s groom is interviewed. At Hollywood Park, Richardson’s veterinarian, Skip Park, is interviewed and he is quoted by investigators as saying that Richardson “in no way could have been involved in the administration of cocaine.” Park also tells investigators that he had seen “a lot of men” near Fracoza’s stall before the race. “It is next to impossible,” Park is quoted as saying, “to have security around horses at all times.”

Dec. 9--A groom who works for another trainer in Richardson’s barn is interviewed at Santa Anita and permits investigators to search his tack room and give him a drug test.

Dec. 20--The test of the groom interviewed Dec. 9 comes back positive for cocaine and marijuana.

Dec. 21-- Investigators go to the barn to discuss the positive test with the groom and are told that he has moved to Hollywood Park. They drive to Hollywood Park and are unable to find him.

Dec. 22--The groom phones the investigators, is told that he has tested positive and is asked to call the next day to receive a hearing date.

Dec. 23--The groom is notified that his hearing will be held Jan. 3.

Jan. 3, 1991--The groom does not appear for the hearing.

Jan. 16--Richardson notifies investigators that another groom from his barn said that he saw the missing groom and his friends urinating in the stall of Richardson’s horse in December. The groom who witnessed the urinating is interviewed and repeats what he had told Richardson. An investigator at Santa Anita receives a letter dated 12 days earlier from the racing board offices in Sacramento that says the accusation against Richardson has been withdrawn. Richardson is told, however, that he must still attend a hearing with the Santa Anita stewards.

Feb. 21--Richardson’s attorney receives a letter from a Cornell University chemist, who says that after reading the lab report from California, it is possible that a person who abuses cocaine could contaminate horse feed through urination. Cornell’s fee for this opinion was $1,000.

Late February--The stewards fine Richardson, put him on probation and give him a suspension that is stayed.

“The groom tested positive,” said trainer Brian Sweeney, a friend of Richardson’s. “The stewards agreed with the evidence that the groom urinated in the horse’s stall. They saw the testimony from Cornell. If such mitigating circumstances are not sufficient in the minds of our stewards, then God help us all.”

Last November, Richardson read in a newspaper that the racing board might show leniency in drug cases with the possibility of horse contamination, providing there was also doubt about a trainer’s culpability.

“I signed my agreement three days before I saw that,” Richardson said. “I agreed that I wouldn’t sue anybody.”

Horse Racing Notes

A.P. Indy, who will make his first start since winning the Hollywood Futurity on Dec. 22, is among six 3-year-olds entered for Saturday’s $150,000 San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita. Here is the field for the mile race, in post-position order: Treekster, with Pat Valenzuela riding, 115 pounds; Prince Wild, Gary Stevens, 118; Silver Ray, Martin Pedroza, 121; Megan’s Interco, Laffit Pincay, 115; A.P. Indy, Eddie Delahoussaye, 121; and Hickman Creek, Chris McCarron, 118.

Trainer Dick Lundy could not be reached Thursday regarding reports that Dinard won’t run in the Santa Anita Handicap a week from Saturday. . . . Vying Victor, a stakes winner at Santa Anita but ninth at Gulfstream Park last Saturday in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, is headed for the Remington Park Derby in Oklahoma City on March 15.

Cuddles, winner of an allowance race in nine starts since winning the Hollywood Starlet about 15 months ago, won the Manta Handicap at Santa Anita Thursday, beating Suite by a half-length with favored Damewood running third. . . . Trainer Ron McAnally, wanting to run 1991 male-grass champion Tight Spot in a prep race before he returned to stakes competition, was worried that today’s mile wouldn’t draw enough horses to be run. Eight entered, but two--Super Native and Forty Niner Days--were early scratches.