Antonucci gets positive test for lidocaine

Jena Antonucci, the trainer of 2023 Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo, has been notified of a positive test for the regulated medication lidocaine in a horse she trains that won a maiden race at Gulfstream Park earlier this year, according to records from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit.

Antonucci, an outspoken advocate of HIWU and its parent organization, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, acknowledged the positive in a social-media post on Tuesday, saying the horse, Bee a Queen, tested positive for a “nominal” overage of the allowed limit for the drug, a painkiller which is a common ingredient in over-the-counter drugs for humans.

She said in the post that she had done a “complete business triage” of her operation after learning of the positive.

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“I could not be more thankful to our entire team knowing there was no purposeful or accidental exposure in our control, including our veterinary team, who does not use lidocaine in their practice,” the post said.

A lidocaine positive typically draws a seven-day suspension, though that penalty can be modified. The case is still being adjudicated, according to HIWU. Any medication infraction leads to the disqualification of a horse under HISA’s rules.

Bee a Queen, a 3-year-old filly, tested positive for the drug after winning a June 14 maiden race at Gulfstream at 5-1 in a five-horse field. The horse has since raced three times and won a claiming race at Gulfstream on Aug. 27.

Antonucci has won 27 races from 209 starts this year, with purse earnings of $1.49 million.

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