Nevada Litfin suspended five months by Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit
Nevada Litfin, who was near the top of the trainer standings at the recently completed meet at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, has been handed a five-month suspension for rule violations including the possession of a hypodermic syringe, according to a ruling from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit.
Litfin, who was provisionally suspended in mid-August after he was escorted off the grounds by Minnesota Racing Commission investigators at Canterbury for “actions detrimental to racing,” was suspended three months, in part, for “use or attempted use of a controlled medication . . . during the race period,” plus the rule violation for possession of a syringe. The ruling indicates that the medication in the syringe was Lasix, the regulated diuretic that is used to mitigate bleeding in the lungs.
In Minnesota and all other major racing jurisdictions, Lasix is administered on race day by regulatory personnel.
In total, Litfin was cited for five violations of the controlled substance policies of HIWU, which resulted in nine points being assigned to his record. Under HIWU’s rules, the accumulation of points leads to higher penalties, and in Litfin’s case, the nine points resulted in two additional months of suspension, for a total of five months. Litfin was also fined $3,500.
The horse in question was Dominus Tecum, who was scratched after the Minnesota Racing Commission personnel observed the incident. The horse was later transferred to McLean Robertson and won his first start, a $31,000 maiden special weight, for his new trainer.
HIWU’s ruling said that Litfin admitted to the violations and accepted the penalties.
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