Kentucky outrider banned for 16 months

The Kentucky Licensing Review Committee on Wednesday suspended an outrider at Keeneland for 16 months after it was determined he was the trainer of a horse that raced under another trainer’s name, officials for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said.

The outrider, John Neal, will be unable to apply for a license until Jan. 1, 2014, because of the suspension, said Marc Guilfoil, the commission’s deputy executive director. The horse trained by Neal, Superstardom, had started at Keeneland on April 26 under the name of trainer Larry Lay.

The racing commission discovered the subterfuge after Superstardom tested positive for clenbuterol, the bronchodilator, following the race. Because of the absolute insurer rule, Lay was suspended for 30 days for the positive post-race test as the trainer of the horse. Although Lay appealed the ruling, he dropped the appeal earlier this week, Guilfoil said.

According to Guilfoil, the committee will continue to investigate the incident and may levy additional penalties against Lay and Carol Renn, the horse identifier at Kentucky tracks. Renn was said by commission officials to have had knowledge that Neal was the trainer of Superstardom through a relationship with the outrider, but she did not report the knowledge to stewards, a violation of racing rules.

The committee may also consider a penalty against Mark Shireman, the owner of Superstardom, Guilfoil said. The committee will likely take up the matter again at a Sept. 5 meeting, according to Guilfoil.