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Trainer Of Kentucky Derby Contender I Want Revenge Suspended
Jeff Mullins, race horse trainer of one of the leading Kentucky Derby contenders I Want Revenge, was suspended for 7 days and fined $2,500 by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board for giving one of his horses medication before a race at Aqueduct.
Mullins violated New York horse racing rules by administering an over-the-counter medication to Gato Go Win while the horse was in a security barn before the Bay Shore Stakes on April 4. The horse was scratched by the New York Racing Association stewards.
The suspension begins May 3, the day after the Jeff Mullins-trained I Want Revenge runs in the Kentucky Derby 2009. The ruling was released Sunday.
Race-day medication is prohibited in New York except for the anti-bleeding medication, Lasix, which can only be administered by a veterinarian.
Race horse trainer Jeff Mullins maintains that he did not violate any rules but felt it necessary to accept the punishment and move forward.
“To put an end to this unfortunate event, I take responsibility for the infraction and accept the penalty imposed,” Mullins said in a statement. “I have dedicated my life to caring for thoroughbred race horses. I owe it to I Want Revenge, his owners, the racing fans, and, indeed, the entire racing industry to end this distraction now.”
Mullins faced a lengthier 15-day suspension but had it shortened to a week after he decided not to appeal the decision.
The suspension will be honored by other horse racing jurisdictions, though it still clears the way for Mullins to saddle I Want Revenge in the Kentucky Derby 135. The 3-year-old is considered one of the favorite Kentucky Derby entries after winning the Wood Memorial.
New York racing rules allow antibiotics, vitamins, electrolytes and other food supplements as long as they are administered orally and do not contain any other drug or act like a drug. But medication may not be given to a horse while it is in the detention barn.
“Trainers who wish to participate in New York racing are responsible for knowing our race day rules and our medication rules,” Racing and Wagering Board chairman John D. Sabini said. “These sanctions should send a clear message that ignorance will never wash as an excuse.”
Mullins said he was not questioned by NYRA security personnel while inside the detention barn. He didn’t use it as an excuse but felt he should have been given a “heads up” by security if they felt he was committing a violation.
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