Online outcry prompts HISA investigation into two trainers
:quality(75))
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority is investigating concerns expressed on social media and by others about five horses based at the Fair Hill training center in Maryland who raced at Saratoga Race Course and Monmouth Park on Sunday. Four of those horses won.
Three of the horses were trained by Angel Quiroz and two were trained by Ernesto Ochoa. Quiroz won races 3 and 4 Sunday at Monmouth Park with The Great Amira ($37.20) and Tepeyac ($9.60). The daily double payoff was a paltry $12.80 for a $1 wager, far lower than it should have been, given the prices.
The Great Amira, who finished last in her first two starts, won a maiden $25,000 claiming race by nine lengths. She is listed as being owned by Porta Pia Stable, her breeders, and Quiroz. Tepeyac, who had made just one previous start for Quiroz after having raced for three previous trainers, won a $16,000 claiming race by a half-length. Mariam Vargas is listed as the owner of Tepeyac.
Quiroz had won two races from 17 starts in 2026 before he ran those three horses on Sunday. Quiroz denied any wrongdoing to The Thoroughbred Daily News.
“It's very simple,” Quiroz told TDN. “I took my horses and ran them at Monmouth Park and won the races and I took one horse to Saratoga and she ran fourth. Everybody is shocked. I don't see what the big deal is or what the problem is. I'm supposed to run all the time and not try to win the race? There are too many people behind social media who don't show their faces and post too much stuff that is not true. The problem with social media is that this became very popular and people started to say stuff that isn't true and tried to make me out to be a bad guy.”
At Saratoga, owner-trainer Ochoa won races 4 and 7 with Classic Rock ($18.68) and M Bs Melanie Cares ($27.70). Those horses also showed workouts at Fair Hill after spending the winter and early spring at Gulfstream Park.
Classic Rock was making his first start since last November and first for Ochoa. He was previously trained by Eduardo Azpurua Jr. for owner David Romanik.
M Bs Melanie Cares ran in a $50,000 claiming race for owner-trainer Steve Dwoskin at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 4, where she finished fifth, beaten 7 3/4 lengths. She was claimed out of the race by Jose D’Angelo for TCC Stables.
On Monday, D'Angelo told Daily Racing Form that the filly was sore and was developing a splint bone injury. M Bs Melanie Cares was put through the Inglis Digital sale in February and she sold for $32,500. The buyer was listed as Kevin Cruz.
M Bs Melanie Cares was working regularly at Gulfstream Park in April and May. She showed no published workouts for two months before showing up on the work tab on July 22 at Fair Hill, where she worked two additional times leading up to Sunday’s race.
A source told Daily Racing Form that Ochoa’s horses left Saratoga on Monday and shipped to Parx in Bensalem, Pa.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, HISA said it “is aware of information circulating on social media and concerns raised directly to HISA personnel regarding events at multiple races on August 9 and is actively investigating those concerns. We take any potential violations of HISA rules extremely seriously.”
The four horses who won all underwent routine post-race testing, as is the case for all horses who win. The HISA statement said that additional targeted out-of-competition testing has been and will continue to be administered by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit.
A source told Daily Racing Form that HIWIU representatives were at the receiving barn on Monday morning to attempt out-of-competition testing on at least two horses trained by Ochoa.
HISA placed Threedots Andadash, who was entered to compete Monday at Presque Isle Downs for Quiroz, on the HISA Veterinarian’s List as deemed unfit to race. The horse will remain on that list pending further developments in the investigation.
Bravo Rough, a 3-year-old colt listed as formerly trained by Quiroz but as now running for trainer Alexis Cordero-Lopez, was entered in the second race Monday night at Mountaineer. Since tracks in West Virginia do not follow HISA rules, his participation was up to the discretion of the track stewards. The horse was ultimately scratched from the race just minutes before post time.
“HISA and HIWU will continue to carefully review the available information and testing results and will take any appropriate action if the investigation determines that HISA rules have been violated,” the statement read. “At this stage, HISA will not speculate on the outcome of the investigation or testing process.”