Aqueduct: Romans gets seven-day ban for phenylbutazone positive

Trainer Dale Romans was to begin serving a seven-day suspension Monday as a result of one of his horses testing positive for phenylbutazone , a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, following a race last November at Aqueduct.

The suspension was reduced from 10 days for Romans waiving his right of appeal. Romans also was fined $1,000 by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.

The Romans-trained Free Brave finished second, beaten a neck, in a $10,000 claiming race on the turf at Aqueduct on Nov. 19. Free Brave was disqualified and ordered unplaced in the order of finish, and owner Marc Holliday must forfeit the $4,200 second-place purse.

Though Romans was not in New York at the time of the positive, he is penalized under the trainer’s responsibility rule. Romans, who has horses based in New York and Florida, said Sunday he was not planning on running anything this week at either Aqueduct or Gulfstream Park.

Meanwhile, the state also fined three people $500 each in connection with the incident in which a horse was mistakenly given Lasix for a race though he was not scheduled to receive the anti-bleeding medication.

The state fined trainer Karl Grusmark, his assistant, Rachel Sells; and New York Racing Association veterinarian Carolyn Kondra $500 each for the administration of Lasix to Summer Sunset, a horse who won a $20,000 claiming race Dec. 29 at Aqueduct. Summer Sunset was given Lasix the morning of the race by the NYRA vet, though the horse was not scheduled to run on the medication.

Previously, the state disqualified Summer Sunset from first, and the horse was ordered unplaced in the order of finish.

Also, jockey Ryan Curatolo will begin serving a week-long careless riding suspension this week, dropping his appeal from a Dec. 29 infraction at Aqueduct.