Arlington's leading trainer gets 15 days

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- Nick Canani, the leading trainer at Arlington Park entering Sunday's racing action, has been fined $1,000 and handed a 15-day suspension by the Arlington stewards for a positive drug test. Copper Forest, winner of the second race here on May 6, tested positive for etodolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Copper Forest was disqualified from all purse money and declared unplaced in the race.

Etodolac is a class 3 medication, meaning it's considered to have a low chance of enhancing a horse's performance. In humans, it is commonly prescribed for pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis.

Canani's suspension runs 15 calendar days, from July 11-July 25. Canani declined comment when asked if he planned to appeal the ruling.

So-called super testing is being performed on all winners of Arlington races this summer, with Arlington itself funding the tests. Super tests can detect trace levels of medications, and Illinois has zero-tolerance rules in place for positive tests; even a minute amount of a drug detected in a horse's system can trigger harsh penalties.

Canani trains solely for Frank Calabrese, the perennial leading owner in Chicago, and through Saturday's racing had compiled a record at this meet of 29-17-4 from 61 starters.

* Chicago stewards also fined trainer Florida-based trainer Marty Wolfson $3,000 for a pair of prednisone positives detected in Jessica is Back and Miss Singhsix, the second- and third-place finishers in the Sixty Sails on April 17 at Hawthorne.