Kutz delays return after drug positive

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Jockey Dean Kutz, who is making a comeback after suffering from throat cancer, has delayed his return to the races at Canterbury Park following a positive drug test.

The test, administered as part of a routine jockey's physical, "came back a little cloudy," said Minnesota Racing Commission chairman Richard Krueger. He declined to say what drug was detected by the test.

Kutz was contacted by the commission and voluntarily elected not to ride, Krueger said, until fuller test results are available Monday. "This was a safety issue," Krueger said.

Anticipating the test, Kutz had provided the racing commission with an extensive list of prescribed medications that he takes as part of his ongoing treatment, including painkillers. There was no word whether one of the medications on the list was the one detected by the test.

Kutz, who missed 18 months of racing while undergoing cancer treatment, has been riding regularly as part of the Kentucky jockey colony since his return to the saddle at Ellis Park last August.

Kutz has traveled to North Dakota to visit family members while awaiting the results of the second test and was unavailable for comment.