Dan Nixon

The appellant, a standardbred licensee and trainer, appealed two rulings suspending him and imposing fines after a horse he trained tested positive for furosemide.

The Ontario Racing Commission heard expert testimony that the horse was a rare outlier unable to metabolize the drug normally, and that the appellant had done everything possible to comply with the rules.

The Commission granted the appeal and reduced the fines and suspensions to zero, applying the strict liability defence.

The appellant, a standardbred licensee, appealed a 15-day suspension and $1,500 fine imposed for an altercation with another licensee in the grandstand at Kawartha Downs.

The Ontario Racing Commission panel found that the altercation was retaliatory and occurred in a public place, potentially causing security issues.

The panel denied the appeal and upheld the suspension and fine.

The licensee appealed a 20-day suspension and $1,500 fine for failing to comply with a vehicle search directed by Ontario Racing Commission investigators.

The panel denied the appeal but varied the penalty, staying 10 days of the suspension, increasing the fine to $2,000, and imposing a one-year probation period, citing the licensee's exemplary record and post-infraction cooperation as mitigating factors.

The licensee, a thoroughbred trainer, appealed a Stewards' ruling that suspended her for one year and fined her $5,000 after her horse tested positive for caffeine, a Class II drug.

The Ontario Racing Commission panel found no evidence that the caffeine came from an external contaminant or previous exposure to coffee.

However, considering the licensee's good record and lack of intent to gain an unfair advantage, the panel allowed the appeal in part, reducing the suspension to six months and the fine to $2,500.

The licensee, a standardbred owner/trainer/driver, appealed a Notice of Proposed Order to suspend his licence for purchasing unlabelled and unprescribed therapeutic substances from unauthorized distributors.

Following a review of the evidence and a joint submission on penalty, the Ontario Racing Commission rescinded the proposed suspension.

The panel ordered a $1,000 fine and a one-year probation period, during which any further violation would trigger an immediate suspension.

The appellants, the driver and trainer/owner of the standardbred horse Newport Volo, appealed a track judges' ruling that placed the horse from second to third for failing to continuously lose ground when off stride during a race.

The Ontario Racing Commission dismissed the appeal, finding that the horse broke from a trot to a pace near the finish line and did not lose ground as strictly required by Rule 22.27(c) of the Rules of Standardbred Racing.

The remnant of the second-place purse monies was ordered distributed to the owner of the third-place horse.