Quarter Horse trainers Nunez, Zuazo gets lengthy suspensions
California trainers Jesus Nunez and Ramiro Zuazo have received length suspensions and four-figure fines for medication violations found in their Quarter Horse runners earlier this year.
Nunez was suspended 30 days and fined $1,500 after Unblemished V tested positive for the prohibited medication tramadol after a win in a maiden race for 2-year-olds at Los Alamitos in April.
Nunez’s suspension runs from Monday through Oct. 20. Through Wednesday, Nunez has won 29 races from 179 starters this year. He has won nine Thoroughbred races, including an $8,000 claimer at Santa Anita in May; 19 races with Quarter Horses; and one race for Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds.
Last December, Nunez won the $1.9 million Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity for Quarter Horses with Toby Sis. In February, Nunez won the Brad McKinzie Los Alamitos Winter Championship with the older Quarter Horse Favorite Jesshawk.
Zuazo was suspended 90 days, beginning on Monday through Dec. 19, and fined $2,500 after Butterfly Thru Fire tested positive for the banned bronchodilator clenbuterol in an out-of-competition test at Los Alamitos on March 29. Butterfly Thru Fire finished fifth in her lone start in a maiden race for Quarter Horses on March 21.
Zuazo has won four races this year from 53 starters, all with Quarter Horses.
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