Parbhoo suspended two years for drug violation

Shivananda Parbhoo, who trained Trinniberg, the winner of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, has been suspended for two years by the Horseracing Integrity and Wagering Unit after a horse he trained tested positive for clenbuterol, according to an arbiter’s ruling.

Parbhoo, who had 89 starts last year after a nearly 10-year hiatus from racing, was also fined $25,000 and ordered to pay $10,000 in arbitration costs. The suspension began on Aug. 27.

According to the arbiter’s report, American Speed, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Parbhoo, tested positive for clenbuterol after finishing second in a $41,000 starter allowance race at Gulfstream in South Florida on Jan. 5. A split sample from the horse confirmed the finding, according to the report.

Clenbuterol, a bronchial dilator, is a strictly regulated drug in Thoroughbred racing due to its ability to build muscle mass when used regularly on a horse.

During a hearing, Parbhoo acknowledged authorizing his staff to add a powder supplement called “Body Builder” to American Speed and other horses in his barn. Parbhoo said that an opened bottle of the supplement in his barn tested positive for traces of clenbuterol, and he said he had no intention of administering clenbuterol to the horse. Parbhoo also speculated that someone may have “spiked” the supplement with clenbuterol.

:: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now.

The arbiter, Hugh L. Fraser, wrote in his report that Parbhoo’s theory was not backed by evidence and that the speculation did not absolve Parbhoo of his responsibilities under the general principle of the trainer’s responsibility rule, which holds trainers liable for the condition of their horses.

“The sabotage theory advanced by Mr. Parbhoo is highly speculative and is far from persuasive,” Fraser wrote. “His argument that he did all that he could and had no fault or no significant fault for the clenbuterol positive falls far short of what is expected of a covered person” for a mitigation of the standard two-year suspension.

Parbhoo won nine races from 56 starts the year after Trinniberg’s win in the 2012 Sprint and then did not start a horse until late 2023. He won with 10 of 89 starters in 2024, with 11 seconds and nine thirds.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.