Racing! Stewards rulings are back

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as Los Alamitos finished up the first of three weekends.

With so much going on I can’t imagine being anymore behind on the steward’s rulings. So, let’s get caught up.

--Jockey Agapito Delgadillo was fined $100 for use of the riding crop more than three times without allowing his mount, Oil Can Knight, to respond in the fourth race on May 25. Delgadillo admitted his mistake. The horse, the favorite, finished third.

--Trainer Vladimir Cerin was fined $2,500 for a drug overage violation involving Conquest Flatterme. On Feb. 12, the 7-year-old mare was working to get off the veterinarian’s list. A blood test revealed she had Firocoxib in her system at a level of 155 ng/ml. The acceptable limit is 20 ng/ml. Firocoxib is generally used to ease pain and inflammation. It was Cerin’s third medication violation in 365 days.

--Trainer Keith Desormeaux is fined $400 for failure to properly register French Rose on the bleeder list prior to entering in the fourth race on May 26. The first-time starter finished fifth in a six-horse race.

--Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was fined $400 for failure to properly register Golden Star on the bleeder list prior to entering the fourth race on May 26. The first-time starter finished second as the favorite.

--Trainer Chares Treece was fined $4,000 for violation of probation, in which the fine was originally stayed. On Aug. 17, Treece was fined $4,000 by the Los Alamitos quarter horse stewards. The stewards stayed the fine if Treece stayed clean of medication violations for a year. On Jan. 11 at Santa Anita, Treece had another drug violation with the horse Sea Glass. This ruling overturns the stay of the Los Alamitos fine.

--Apprentice jockey Jorge Velez was fined $100 for use of the riding crop more than three times without waiting for his mount, Vermeer, to respond. Velez was apologetic to the stewards. The horse finished third.

--Groom Jeovany Barrientos had his license suspended and is barred from the premises after failing to appear for a hearing in which he was charged with disorderly conduct, entry to area assigned to a trainer and conduct detrimental to horses racing. Because there was no hearing, no additional information was provided.

--Trainer Michael Pender was suspended for 30 days (June 14-July 13) for violation of rules in regards to trainer insuring the condition of a horse and animal welfare. The stewards’ minutes said Pender knowingly worked the horse New Karma after a veterinarian examination disclosed an injury. On April 6, he then shipped the horse to Golden Gate Fields where he was entered in a race on April 6. The horse was then scratched. Pender has been excluded from all Stronach-owned tracks since May 22.

--Jockey Ruben Fuentes was fined $300 for using his riding crop five times on his mount, Portando, in the fifth race on June 7. The horse finished second. It was his third offense in the last 60 days.

--Jockey Geovanni Franco was suspended three days (June 15, 16, 21) for failing to keep his horse in a straight line and causing interference. In the fifth race on June 8, Franco used his riding crop twice forcing his mount, Grinning Tiger to drift out and interfere with Portando. Grinning Tiger finished fourth.

--Jockey Ruben Fuentes was suspended four days (June 15, 16, 21, 22) for careless riding causing several cases of interference in the same race, the first on June 7. According to the steward’s minutes, Fuentes mount, Goodtingscominpink, who finished second, drifted out and fouled Super Bunny, third, and Y Not Sizzle, fourth, nearing the 1/16^th mile marker. Then, nearing the finish line, he bumped the winner, Lucky Ms Jones, twice. Fuentes acknowledged his ride was a sub-par effort. The stewards did not change the order of finish on race day.

--Jockey Ruben Fuentes (yes, same as in previous ruling) was suspended five days (June 23, 29, 30, July 4, 5) for careless riding and interference. In the third race on June 8, Fuentes mount, Oh Man, squeezed Duke’s Up, forcing jockey Kent Desormeaux to take up in the stretch. Duke’s Up did rally to win and Oh Man finished third.

We’ve got more, but we’re going to save them for later this week.

Who goofed, I’ve got to know?

In Sunday’s newsletter in the big races review, I had the wrong winner of the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine. It should have been One Bad Boy. Also, I identified Queen Bee to You, the Bertrando Stakes winner at Los Alamitos, as a he, rather than a she.

Los Alamitos thoroughbred review

Sunday’s feature was a five-furlong allowance, worth a purse of $55,000. The winner, in a blanket finish, was Calexman by a head.

Calexman paid $9.20, $3.80 and $2.20 for trainer Cerin and jockey Franco. Horse Greedy was second and Secular Nation was third.

There was a scary moment at the start of the second race when Margo With a T stumbled badly throwing jockey Modesto Linares to the ground. Luckily Margo With a T was content to run rider-less far off the back of the back and was corralled after the race and was fine, as was Linares.

Big races review

A look at graded stakes or races worth $100,000 or more on Sunday.

Belmont (7): $100,000 Saginaw Stakes, NY-breds 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Mr. Buff ($3.90)

Woodbine (8): Grade 3 $125,000 Dominion Day Stakes, 3 and up, 1 ¼ miles. Winner: Are You Kidding Me ($7.40)

Woodbine (10): $225,000 Bison City Stakes, Ont-bred fillies 3-years-old, 1 1/16 miles. Winner: Speedy Soul ($7.00)

Final thought

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Any thoughts, you can reach me at johnacherwa@gmail.com. You can also feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa

Now, here’s the star of the show, Sunday’s results. See you on Thursday.

JOHANN'S COMMAND angled in and dueled outside a rival, took a short lead under left handed urging in midstretch and inched away late. PAPA CABALLERO stalked between horses then outside a rival on the turn and into the stretch and gained the place. CALIE VIEW saved ground chasing the pace, split horses nearing the sixteenth pole then was forced in a bit and went between rivals again nearing the wire for the show. SEATTLE ENCOUNTER four wide early, stalked three deep then off the rail on the turn, came three wide into the stretch, drifted in a sixteenth out and was outfinished for third. WAY GONE had speed between horses then dueled inside, fought back along the rail in the stretch and weakened late. UPTOWN STREET between rivals early, saved ground stalking the pace, continued inside in the stretch and weakened. HAND TIMED.

POPULAR APPEAL chased off the rail then angled in some and pulled when in a bit close off heels into the turn, came out leaving the turn and four wide into the stretch, took the lead three deep while lugging inward in midstretch, inched away and won clear under some left handed urging and steady handling then a long hold late. A ROYAL ACE prompted the pace three deep then stalked off the rail, came three wide into the stretch and was clearly second best. WAY TOO CUTE dueled between horses then outside a rival, was between foes again in midstretch and bested the others. EXPENSIVE DEVON stalked off the rail on the backstretch and turn, came three wide into the stretch and weakened. INDIAS LUTE had good early speed and dueled inside, fought back in the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. MARGO WITH A T stumbled badly at the start and lost the rider. The stewards conducted an inquiry into the start before ruling MARGO WITH A T was the cause of her own trouble. HAND TIMED.

GRINNING TIGER dueled three deep then stalked off the rail into and on the turn, came out into the stretch, re-bid three wide under urging in the drive to gain the lead past midstretch and inched away late. FASHIONABLY FAST had good early speed and dueled between horses then outside a rival into and on the turn and into the stretch, fought back between foes in midstretch then off the rail in the final furlong and could not quite match the winner late while clearly best of the rest. JOE JACKSON stalked off the rail then outside on the turn, came three deep into the stretch and edged a rival late for the show. SCOUTED chased off the rail then inside into and on the turn and into the stretch, came out in upper stretch and was edged for third. TOUGH BUT NICE sped to the early lead, dueled inside, fought back into the stretch and in upper stretch and weakened in the final furlong. HAND TIMED.

PARTY HOSTESS between horses early, chased outside a rival then a bit off the rail on the turn, entered the stretch alongside a foe, angled inward in midstretch, bid toward the inside to gain the lead past the eighth pole and gamely prevailed under some left handed urging. RIZZI'S HONORS stalked the pace outside a foe then between horses into the turn, continued off the rail leaving the bend, came three wide into the stretch, bid three deep in the drive, could not match the winner late but held second. TIGER MOM sped to the early lead, set the pace off the rail, drifted out a bit in the stretch, fought back between foes a furlong out and was edged for the place. BLOOMING HANNAH stalked a bit off the rail then inside on the turn and into the stretch, came out a bit in midstretch then angled back in and lacked a rally. ASEM bobbled at the start, stalked outside then three deep on the turn and four wide into the stretch and did not rally. DISCRETE STEVIE B saved ground chasing the pace throughout and weakened in the drive. HAND TIMED.

SCHRODINGER stalked outside a rival, bid alongside the pacesetter in upper stretch, gained the advantage in midstretch, inched away, fought off the bid of the runner-up under urging in the final furlong and was under a loose hold late. VERIFIED close up stalking the pace inside, came out into the stretch, loomed a threat behind the winner a furlong out but could not match that one while clearly second best. WICKED BLUE chased off the rail, angled in some on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and picked up the show. PREACHER bobbled some at the break, sped to the early lead, angled in and set the pace inside, fought back along the rail in the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. WAR BEAST broke in a bit, settled off the inside, came three wide into the stretch and lacked a further response. EDELMAN dropped back along the inside early and saved ground to no avail. HAND TIMED.

REBEL WAR pressed the pace between horses then stalked just off the rail, re-bid three wide between foes into the stretch, gained the lead in midstretch, drifted in and inched away under urging a furlong out and won clear. SOUL OWNER prompted the pace three deep then stalked outside the winner into and on the turn, re-bid outside foes while being fanned four wide into the stretch, fought back while drifting out some in midstretch and was clearly second best. SEAHAWK WAVE stalked outside a rival on the backstretch and turn, came four wide into the stretch, was three deep in late stretch and edged a rival for the show. MASON DIXON was in a good position stalking the pace a bit off the rail, swung out into the stretch, split horses in deep stretch and was edged for third. AN OCALA TEN sped to the early lead, set a pressured pace inside then inched away into the turn, came out and fought back off the rail into the stretch, drifted inward in the drive and weakened. HAND TIMED.

CHASING MOMENTS dueled outside a rival, took a clear lead on the second turn, fought back when challenged and briefly headed in the stretch, drifted out and inched away under urging and won clear. CAT'S DESIRE four wide on the first turn, stalked three deep then four wide, continued off the rail on the second turn and four wide into the stretch, bid outside the winner and briefly put a head in front, angled in some past midstretch and was second best. REDS SACRED APPEAL angled in on the first turn and saved ground chasing the pace, split horses into the stretch and bested the others. SOLARIUM stalked the pace three deep, dropped back on the second turn and gave way. CHIRP bumped and squeezed back at the start, angled in and saved ground chasing the pace, fell back under urging into the stretch, had the rider lose the whip late and also gave way. STYLE AWARD bumped at the start, stalked between horses, fell back on the second turn, came out into the stretch, drifted inward in deep stretch, had little left in the drive and was eased late. WILHELMINA'S GIRL three deep early, chased between foes then outside a rival, fell back just off the rail leaving the second turn, gave way and was eased in the stretch. STOP ANALYZING dueled inside then off the rail on the backstretch, dropped back on the second turn, drifted four wide into the stretch and also was eased through the drive.

CALEXMAN had good early speed and angled in, dueled inside, came off the rail into the stretch, regained a short lead, fought back under urging between horses in deep stretch and gamely prevailed. HORSE GREEDY stalked inside, came out some in upper stretch then angled in and finished gamely along the rail. SECULAR NATION stalked three deep then off the rail, came three wide into the stretch and continued willingly four wide in deep stretch. HARDCORE TROUBADOR angled in and dueled outside a rival, was fanned out some into the stretch, took a short lead, fought back outside the winner in the drive and was outfinished late. ADENS DREAM chased a bit off the rail then outside a rival on the turn and into the stretch, came out some in the drive and did not rally.

CHAMPAGNE HONEY angled in and dueled outside a rival then inched away just off the rail on the turn, responded when the runner-up loomed again in the stretch, inched away under urging again and proved best. LA PURISSIMA dueled inside, was in a bit tight into the turn, came out leaving the turn and into the stretch to loom behind the winner in midstretch, angled in a furlong out and was clearly second best. LISTEN LINDA angled in and saved ground stalking the pace, continued inside on the turn and in the stretch and just held third. MISS OMNIPOTENT chased a bit off the rail, drifted out on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and was edged for the show. GALLANTLYSTREAMING (IRE) bumped at the start, was close up stalking the pace outside a rival, came three wide into the stretch and weakened. UNCHANGED chased outside then alongside a rival, came out four wide into the stretch and also weakened. MALIBU MINX stumbled badly at the start then bumped a rival and stumbled again to have the rider lose the left iron briefly and dropped well back off the rail, angled in on the turn and was not a threat. HAND TIMED.