Filly Fails Drug Test, Lukas Gets Suspended : Horse racing: But the 60-day ban handed down by New York officials probably won’t keep the trainer from Kentucky Derby because he will contest ruling.

Wayne Lukas, who trains Timber Country and Thunder Gulch, two leading candidates for the Kentucky Derby, has been suspended for 60 days by New York racing authorities.

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board announced the suspension Friday, more than five months after the Lukas-trained Flanders tested positive for a therapeutic drug after winning the Sept. 17 Matron Stakes at Belmont Park.

The suspension, which would be enforced by other states under racing’s reciprocity rule, runs March 15-May 13. New York authorities said Lukas has 10 days to appeal, and that the suspension would be reduced to 45 days if he does not.

Lukas is expected to appeal, but, even if he is unsuccessful, he probably would begin court proceedings that would allow him to be with his horses through the Triple Crown series--the Kentucky Derby on May 6, the Preakness on May 20 and the Belmont Stakes on June 10.

Asked about the possibility of an appeal, Lukas said, “Especially if you’re innocent.”

Lukas, 59, has been the leading trainer on the money list for 11 of the last 12 years. His horses earned a record $17.8 million in 1988, and in 1994 he won his fourth Eclipse Award for best trainer.

His attorney, Joel Turner, criticized the timing and severity of the suspension.

“We’ve been left with no alternative but to appeal,” he said. “One of the issues in my mind is why they waited so long to act, and why they chose this particular time frame knowing that Wayne has these prospects for the Derby. Another issue is why they gave him 60 days for a drug that doesn’t affect a horse’s performance. They only give 15 days in New York for a cocaine violation.”

Robert Feuerstein, a spokesman for the New York racing board, said the 60-day suspension is consistent with other penalties issued last year to trainers with positives for isoxsuprine, used to treat horses with circulatory problems in their feet. Three trainers discovered to have used isoxsuprine for their horses accepted the suspensions, and their penalties were reduced to 45 days.

Asked about cocaine violations, Feuerstein said: “There’s been a change in our disciplinary stance regarding that drug. Cocaine is now a 30-day violation, with a reduction to 15 days if there’s no appeal.”

After the positive test, the purse of $67,740 was taken away from Flanders. The 2-year-old filly raced for William T. Young, also an owner of Timber Country, last year’s champion 2-year-old colt. Flanders, who finished first in all five of her starts, was also voted an Eclipse Award for juvenile fillies, getting all 247 votes. Injured while winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs in November, she has been unofficially retired.

Turner and Feuerstein said that Flanders’ positive after the Matron was confirmed by a laboratory at Cornell University, which tests for New York. At Lukas’ request, a split sample was sent to an Ohio State University lab, where, Turner said, no isoxsuprine was found after 20 hours of testing. Additional testing by Ohio State, however, revealed a trace of the drug.

In announcing the suspension, the New York racing board cited the trainer-responsibility rule and said: “Representatives of Wayne Lukas have admitted to the presence of the drug, but they feel that there was not a clinically relevant concentration.”

Turner objected to the handling of the announcement.

“This is about a horse that had one-twenty-eighth of an ounce--an irrelevant trace--of a therapeutic drug,” he said. “There was no hearing. I’ve been rebuffed on numerous occasions when I’ve tried to get information out of the New York authorities. Then I get this notice (of the suspension) at 2:59 in the afternoon (Friday), and Wayne gets a call from a reporter even before I’ve got a chance to get to him.”

Feuerstein said that the timing of the suspension was not intended to interfere with Lukas’ possible Derby plans.

“This is a different situation than what we’re used to,” he said, “The trainer’s now in California, and we’re in New York. We handled it the way we did because we wanted to give Mr. Lukas’ representatives time to file (an appeal). The 10-day period doesn’t start until Monday for that reason. Considering the circumstances, we had no alternative but to handle this the way we did.”

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Horse Racing Notes

Timber Country’s next race is scheduled to be the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita a week from today. . . . The colt hasn’t run since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 5. . . . Thunder Gulch, winner of the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream last week, might stay there for the Florida Derby on March 11.

On Sunday at Santa Anita, Paseana will try to become the first distaffer to win the Santa Margarita Handicap for the third time. A victory in the $300,000 race would be worth $180,000 and would also push the 8-year-old mare over the $3-million earnings mark. She won the Santa Margarita under 122 pounds in 1992 and while carrying 123 pounds last year. In 1993, with 125 pounds, Paseana was beaten by a head by Southern Truce, who had a 10-pound advantage. . . . Paseana is weighted at 123 pounds Sunday. Others entered are Queens Court Queen, Wende, Dianes Halo, Klassy Kim and Exchange, who also races for Paseana’s owners, Sidney and Jenny Craig. . . . Exchange, who would carry 121 pounds in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita, is expected to run today with 122 pounds in the Buena Vista Handicap instead. . . . That would make Queens Court Queen next among the Santa Margarita starters at 120 pounds. The lightest weight in the field, Wende with 113 pounds, is also double entered in the Buena Vista. . . . Ron McAnally, who trains Paseana and Queen Courts Queen, has won the Santa Margarita four of the last six times, with Bayakoa giving him victories in 1989 and ’90.

As part of a two-race bonus package, Hollywood Park has moved the $500,000 Hollywood Turf Handicap from Memorial Day to July 22 and renamed it the Caesars Palace Turf Championship. The first bonus race is the $500,000 Caesars International at Atlantic City on June 25. A horse winning both grass races would collect a $425,000 bonus, put up by the casino company. . . . Steinlen swept the two races in 1990, and so did Exbourne in 1991. . . . Wallenda, who won the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs in 1993 and earned $1.2 million in his career, has been retired to stud because of an ankle injury. He finished eighth in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream on Feb. 11.