Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country.
The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals.
Among this week's rulings, Dr. Larry Rickman Overly has been issued a 23-month suspension and a combined $40,000 fine (including arbitration costs) for the possession of testosterone and isoxsuprine, both banned substances, during a search of his truck at Los Alamitos on July 23 last year, according to the final decision by an arbitral panel.
Overly contended that the jar of isoxsuprine powder and the four injectable vials of testosterone were for other horses in his practice, outside of HISA's jurisdiction. About 66% of the horses he saw and almost 80% of the treatments he performed at Los Alamitos were for non-HISA regulated horses (known as “non-covered” horses), Overly argued.
More specifically, Overly argued that he had the testosterone to treat his veterinary technician's horse, Cosmo, while the jar of isoxsuprine was for a client, to treat her non-covered horse, “Brownie.”
The arbitration panel, however, found that Overly did not have compelling justification for carrying the testosterone and the isoxsuprine in his truck on that date last year.
For one, Overly was scheduled to treat Cosmo with testosterone a week later, on July 30, while his veterinary truck was typically loaded and unloaded/reloaded twice a day, five days a week, the arbitral body found.
As such, “there was no reason Dr. Overly could not have had Testosterone he needed to treat Cosmo loaded after he returned from the Los Alamitos track on the days he was scheduled to see Cosmo,” according to the final decision.
Furthermore, “The veterinary records produced by Dr. Overly did not show a single instance in which he had treated a Non-Covered horse with Isoxsuprine and thus do not establish a compelling justification to prophylactically carry Isoxsuprine for that part of his mixed practice,” according to the final decision.
Resolved ADMC Violations
Date: 08/26/2025
Licensee: Eduardo Rodriguez, trainer
Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Aminocaproic Acid–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from All About Tonite, on 7/2/25.
Date: 08/26/2025
Licensee: Jesus Nunez, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on August 27, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Erebus, who finished second at Los Alamitos on 7/6/25.
Date: 08/25/2025
Licensee: Dr. Larry Rickman Overly, veterinarian
Penalty: 23-month period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on February 26, 2025; a fine of $25,000; payment of $15,000 towards arbitration costs. Final decision of arbitral body.
Explainer: Possession of Testosterone and Isoxsuprine–both banned substances–for an event dated 7/23/24.
Date: 08/25/2025
Licensee: Tomas Medina, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the use or attempted use of a Class C controlled substance on Night Kiss during the race period dated 7/5/25. Night Kiss did not make a start that day.
Date: 08/25/2025
Licensee: Michael LaCesse, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Triamcinolone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Gimmedamoney, who finished fourth at Finger Lakes on 7/14/25.
Date: 08/25/2025
Licensee: Raymond Paquette, trainer
Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Final decision of HIWU.
Explainer: Vet's list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a Class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Michi on 7/13/25.
Date: 08/25/2025
Licensee: Scott Lake, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on August 26, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Texas Air Force, who finished second at Parx Racing on 5/19/25.
Date: 08/22/2025
Licensee: Steve Asmussen, trainer
Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Admission.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Jackman on 6/20/25.
Date: 08/21/2025
Licensee: Ruben Siera, trainer
Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by internal adjudication.
Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a Class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Juan Mo Time, who did not finish a race at Gulfstream Park on 5/16/25.
Date: 08/20/2025
Licensee: Ilias Tapsas, trainer
Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on August 21, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Admission.
Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a Class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Modern Midas on 7/7/25.
Pending ADMC Violations
08/27/2025, Hector Palma, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Uncle Evco on 7/30/25.
08/27/2025, Jane D. Cibelli, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Inveigled, who finished second at Laurel Park on 6/21/25.
08/25/2025, Helen Alice Beckman, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Pentoxifylline–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Stand Up Charlie, who finished fifth at Belterra Park on 7/17/25.
08/22/2025, Marcus Vitali, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Yankee Dollar, who finished second in the Illini Princess Handicap at Hawthorne on 6/15/25.
08/22/2025, Billy Miller, trainer: Per HIWU, “Rule 3510(b)–Refusal/failure to cooperate promptly and completely with HISA/HIWU under the ADMC Program Rules; Rule 3510(d)–Refusal/failure without compelling justification to comply with any other provision of the ADMC Program Rules (where such refusal or failure does not constitute an Anti-Doping Rule Violation).” The horse in questions is Ranch Badge.
08/21/2025, Eduardo Rodriguez, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Aminocaproic Acid–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from All About Tonite, on 7/2/25.
08/21/2025, Elias Lopez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Albuterol (Salbutamol)–a banned substance–in a sample taken from La Clasica, who did not finish when running at Hawthorne on 6/5/25.
Violations of Crop Rule
Del Mar
Ruben Silvera–violation date August 22; $500 fine, one-day suspension
Prairie Meadows
Alberto Pusac–violation date August 22; $250 fine, one-day suspension
The post Weekly Rulings: August 21-27 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
