A provisional suspension handed trainer Rudy Rodriguez on Dec. 16 for allegations he endangered the welfare of horses in his care has been lifted by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) and Rodriguez is now permitted to work, enter, and race horses beginning Thursday.  According to a ruling posted on the HISA website Tuesday afternoon, Rodriguez has agreed to have an attending veterinarian conduct a comprehensive evaluation within 48 hours of any of his horses being placed on the veterinarian’s list and have a report filed by the veterinarian on the HISA portal in a timely manner. Also, Rodriguez agreed to comply with any veterinarian recommendations or suggested diagnostics for said horses in a timely manner. If an owner refuses to pay for the necessary vet work/diagnostics, Rodriguez must pay for it himself or notify HISA of the owner’s refusal.  For all of 2026, Rodriguez must agree to give Dr. Donald Baker, a HISA vet, complete, unrestricted, and unfettered access to his barn and related training facilities. Rodriguez is based at Belmont Park and in the summer Saratoga.  Also, Rodriguez must make a $10,000 donation to the Thoroughred Aftercare Alliance, or similar nonprofit organization dedicated to Thoroughbred aftercare.  Rodriguez could face an immediate six-month suspension should he violate any of HISA’s Racetrack Safety Rules or violate the terms of this agreement between now and Jan. 12, 2027.  :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. A joint statement attributed to HISA and Rodriguez released Tuesday, read in part: “The agreement reflects Mr. Rodriguez’s commitment to ensuring that all his Covered Horses are cared for, trained and compete in a manner that reflects the highest standards of equine welfare and integrity.  “As a result of this process and working collaboratively with HISA, Mr. Rodriguez has reviewed his existing practices and has agreed to implement remedial measures designed to ensure horses in his care receive timely and adequate veterinary intervention and care.”  Rodriguez had his license provisionally suspended on Dec. 16 following a hearing with HISA during which he was alleged to have put the welfare of multiple horses in danger, depriving them of necessary veterinarian care.  HISA alleged that since Nov. 22, 2024, 15 horses under Rodriguez’s care had been placed on a veterinarian’s list. Three of those horses died and HISA mentioned a 16th horse, Heavyweight Champs, who suffered a fatal injury during the running of the seventh race on Nov. 14 at Aqueduct and had to be euthanized. Jockey Dylan Davis, riding a different horse in that race, suffered significant injuries when his horse collided with Ricardo Santana Jr., who was the rider of Heavyweight Champs and who was not injured. Davis has not ridden since that incident and is expected to be sidelined until March.  The one common denominator regarding the list of horses in HISA’s notice was the lack of diagnostic or lameness evaluations being recorded in the HISA portal since the horses were placed on the vets’ list.  Clark Brewster, the attorney representing Rodriguez, had argued the responsibility for the diagnostic or lameness evaluations lay with the regulatory veterinarians not the attending veterinarians.  Brewster said Tuesday he is happy that the case has been resolved and Rodriguez can resume his career.  “I’m just happy honestly to try at least to reach across the aisle and have some common-sense decisions and resolutions to these cases rather than have a situation that becomes devastating to the trainer and a lack of ability to resolve them,” Brewster said.  :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Rodriguez has not started a horse since Dec. 13 and has lost several horses to other trainers. Throughout his suspension, Rodriguez has been allowed to be present to train his horses in the morning, but has not been permitted to have any of them record a timed workout. Rodriguez has been at Belmont most every morning since the suspension.  Rodriguez, 53, has won 1,677 races – including seven Grade 1 stakes – since becoming a trainer in 2010. Rodriguez has won or shared 13 meet titles on the New York Racing Association circuit.  :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.