Assistant trainer suspended two years for possessing loaded syringes
Eusebio Juarez Rufino, a trainer based mostly in Oklahoma and Louisiana, has been suspended two years for the possession of two syringes filled with a banned drug, according to a ruling posted on the website of the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit.
Juarez Rufino received the suspension after investigators for HIWU and Oaklawn Park found two syringes in his truck during a search at Oaklawn earlier this year. Subsequent tests on the syringes determined the substances inside both to be diisopropylamine, a banned drug that can enlarge blood vessels and increase oxygen uptake, according to an arbitrator’s report prepared after a hearing on Sept. 11.
According to the report, Juarez claimed that the syringes were placed in his car by a mechanic who intended to use the drugs on several “injured roosters” on the mechanic’s farm. The arbitrator, David Benck, called the explanation “unsubstantiated and not credible,” in part by citing testimony from a witness during the hearing, Dr. Michael Hardy, the chief science officer of HIWU.
“Dr. Hardy testified that the subject diisopropylamine syringes were the gauge size and needle length typically and traditionally used for intravenous injections on horses and that they were too large for use on roosters or other fowl,” the report said. “He further testified that the volume of diisopropylamine was inconsistent with the volume that could possibly be administered to roosters or other fowl.”
According to the report, Juarez Rufino was assisting Ingrid Mason, a trainer at Oaklawn who was out-of-town at the time of the search. Mason denied any knowledge of the syringes, the report said.
Juarez Rufino has started 372 horses since being issued a license in 2023, with 53 wins and purse earnings of $996,936, racing mostly in Oklahoma and Louisiana. His suspension began on Oct. 8.
Clarification: An earlier version of this article said that Juarez Rufino did not have any starts as a trainer, relying on a search of his name under the name referenced in the arbitrator’s report, which was stated solely as Eusebio Juarez. Additional reporting, which was confirmed by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit, discovered that Juarez was issued a trainer’s license under the name Eusebio Juarez Rufino.
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