New York court upholds Pletcher suspension; trainer likely to appeal

A New York appellate court has upheld a decision by the state’s racing regulator to impose a 10-day suspension on trainer Todd Pletcher for a 2022 post-race positive of a regulated anti-inflammatory medication.

The Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court issued the ruling on May 7 to uphold the suspension, which was issued after Pletcher's horse Forte tested positive for meloxicam after winning the Hopeful Stakes on Sept. 5, 2022, at Saratoga Race Course. The ruling was first reported by The Blood-Horse.

Drew Mollica, Pletcher’s attorney, said on Tuesday morning that “we are in the process of analyzing our options to appeal what we believe is an incorrect reading of the facts."

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An appeal of the ruling would have to go back to the same court that upheld the suspension. The case predated the advent of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s jurisdiction in New York to adjudicate drug violations.

Pletcher is pointing a horse, Renegade, to the June 6 Belmont Stakes, and though it is currently unclear when the suspension would go into effect if it is imposed, the likelihood of an appeal makes it doubtful that Pletcher would serve the suspension anytime soon.

Forte’s owner, Mike Repole, has filed a separate appeal of the horse’s disqualification from the Hopeful Stakes, and that case is still wending its way through state courts.

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