Lara barred from Oaklawn races

The Oaklawn Park board of stewards has suspended trainer Jorge Lara pending adjudication of a second-degree felony charge for domestic battery that happened offtrack Feb. 27. Lara was arrested and released, and has a court date in the case April 6.

Entries from Lara are not being accepted in Arkansas, and the horses in his stable, according to the ruling issued Thursday, "are barred from participating in racing at Oaklawn Park until such time as his horses are transferred to another trainer or trainers acceptable to the stewards." Stewards said the horses cannot be transferred to a relative or an employee of Lara's.

The ruling was issued for "conduct detrimental to racing."

Lara can request a hearing. He said Thursday that he and his attorney have not yet made a decision on whether they will appeal. There is no set deadline for requesting a hearing in this particular case, said stewards.

Lara, a past training champ at Louisiana Downs, is based at Oaklawn.