Trainer Jamey Thomas suspended 15 days for Pleasanton medication violation

Trainer Jamey Thomas has been fined $3,000 and suspended 15 days for a medication violation at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton in July, according to a ruling published by Los Alamitos stewards on Sunday.

Cozze Kid tested positive for the analgesic gabapentin when third in a $20,000 claimer for fillies and mares on July 10. The purse was ordered redistributed for the third through sixth-place finishers in a ruling published by Golden Gate Fields stewards on Oct. 31.

Los Alamitos stewards Ron Church, Kim Sawyer, and Tom Ward wrote Sunday’s ruling because Golden Gate Fields is not currently racing following a coronavirus outbreak among stable personnel.

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Sunday’s ruling was part of a settlement agreement with the racing board. Thomas, 50, was originally suspended 30 days from Dec. 7 through Jan. 5 for the medication violation, but 15 days of the penalty were stayed provided Thomas does not have any positives for medications in classes 1, 2, or 3 through Dec. 5, 2021.

A violation in the next year for medications in those classes will result in restoration of the 15 days that were stayed.

Thomas’ 15-day suspension ends on Dec. 21.

◗ Jockeys Francisco Amparan, Abel Cedillo, Santos Rivera, and Eduard Rojas have been fined for whip violations in daytime races at Los Alamitos on Friday and Saturday, while Christian Aragon has been suspended 10 racing days for three such violations on the same days, according to rulings published on Saturday and Sunday.

Aragon is suspended from Saturday, Dec. 12 through Jan. 1 for using his whip more than six times in a race in the first and eighth races on Friday and first race on Saturday. Aragon was given consecutive five-day suspensions in two separate rulings.

Amparan and Rojas were fined $500 for using the whip more than six times in the third race on Friday.

Cedillo and Rivera were fined $750 for the same infraction in the fourth race on Saturday.