Evidence of Tampering Found in Two Horses

Spiderette, the 2-1 morning line favorite in Wednesday’s second race at Santa Anita, and 6-1 shot My Sweet Lucy were scratched after both fillies were found to have had sponges inserted in their nasal passages.

Sponging horses was a serious problem in Kentucky a few years ago. The placement of the sponges is such that they are not easy to discover and, obviously, they would inhibit a horse’s ability to breath.

The discovery led Roy Wood Jr., the California Horse Racing Board’s executive director, to issue a memorandum late Wednesday afternoon asking horsemen “to be vigilant, increase security in their barns and to closely examine all horses entered to race.”

The four other 3-year-old fillies entered in the second, a $40,000 claimer, were checked for sponges. Answerback was also a late scratch in the one-mile race, meaning only three started.

Officials are investigating the incident, and the CHRB encouraged anyone with information to call a confidential hot line at (800) 805-7223.

In the memorandum, Wood said state veterinarians will manually check the breathing passages of horses during their prerace inspection and that all horsemen should immediately report to track security or the CHRB any suspicious activity or unfamiliar people around or near their stable.