Trainer Englehart suspended 15 days for medication violation

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Chris Englehart, currently tied for third in Aqueduct’s inner-track standings, will begin serving a 15-day suspension on Sunday due to a medication violation incurred at Mountaineer Park earlier this month.

According to a ruling issued by the Mountaineer stewards, the Englehart-trained Blue Sands had the presence of the unauthorized drug methocarbamol, a muscle relaxer, in his system after winning the first race at Mountaineer on March 6.

Robert Bruno, owner of Blue Sands, has to forfeit the $4,484 first-place money Blue Sands earned and the horse was ordered unplaced.

Englehart’s suspension runs through April 3.

Englehart, the perennial leader trainer at Finger Lakes, has enjoyed a tremendous winter at Aqueduct winning 23 races from 95 starters. That ties Engelhart for third in the trainer standings with Bruce Brown, and those two trail only Todd Pletcher (36 wins) and Rudy Rodriguez (29).

Englehart’s horses have earned $737,528 in purse money, the third most among trainers at the meet behind only Pletcher and Rodriguez.

In his absence, Englehart’s horses will run under trainer John Tebbutt’s name.