O'Neill suspended 30 days, fined $10K for lidocaine positive

Doug O’Neill, one of the leading trainers in California, has accepted a 30-day suspension from the stewards at Golden Gate Fields after one of his runners tested positive for lidocaine after a race there in May, according to a ruling posted on the website of the California Horse Racing Board.

O’Neill, who has 109 wins from 652 starters this year, was suspended 60 days for the violation but 30 days of the penalty were stayed provided O’Neill does not have a horse test positive for Class 1, 2, or 3 substances for a year from the time the suspension begins, according to the ruling. The suspension will run from Nov. 21 to Dec. 20.

O’Neill was also fined $10,000.

According to the ruling, Worse Read Sanchez tested positive for lidocaine after finishing third in the fifth race at Golden Gate on May 1, the $75,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes. Worse Read Sanchez was the 3-5 favorite in the five-horse field and finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths for first.

Lidocaine is a painkiller, and it is most commonly used as a local anesthetic. It is found in a number of over the counter products used by humans to treat pain. In racing, it is a Class 2 drug.

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O’Neill had three horses entered in the Breeders’ Cup two-day event over the first weekend of November, including Hot Rod Charlie, who finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

O’Neill has been training since 1988 and has racked up $152.5 million in career purse earnings, along with 2,738 wins from 17,052 starts, a 16 percent lifetime strike rate.

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