Reed Saldana, a trainer based in Southern California, has been handed a two-year ban and a $25,000 fine by an arbitrator hearing his appeal of a positive for the banned drug diisopropylamine, according to a final ruling posted to the website of the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit.

The arbitrator, Jeffrey G. Benz, issued the ruling Dec. 4 after conducting a hearing on Nov. 1. Under the ruling, Saldana will be banned until Aug. 5, 2025. Benz also ordered Saldana to pay $12,000 of the costs of the arbitration.

CYPRESS, Calif. - Dana Stead, the track veterinarian on the Southern California Thoroughbred circuit for the last 14 years, is resigning his position on Dec. 17, he said late Sunday afternoon.

In an interview after the conclusion of the races at Los Alamitos on Sunday, Stead, 42, said he is “moving on from California."

“I put in my 14 years here and I’m looking to do some other things,” Stead said.

Chancery Way is bound for Santa Anita this winter after she won a sprint stakes for the third time in her last four starts in Saturday’s $75,900 Bear Fan Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at Golden Gate Fields.

Trainer Jamey Thomas said on Sunday that the $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at six furlongs at Santa Anita on Feb. 18 may be the next start for Chancery Way.

“More than likely, it will be something down south,” Thomas said.

CYPRESS, Calif. - Nothing Like You’s 2-year-old season ended much better than it began. The key to a successful turnaround was distance.

In sprints at 6 1/2 furlongs or less from early August to early October, her best result was a second in her debut at Del Mar in August. In three subsequent starts at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles since mid-October, Nothing Like You is unbeaten.

Purses at the forthcoming Golden Gate Fields winter-spring meeting will be cut severely in an effort to reduce a deficit of more than $3 million amassed in recent years, according to track and racing officials.

The purse cut, which will take effect with the start of the winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26, could be as severe as 25 percent, officials said. Details of the reduction will be released later this week with the publication of the first condition book, which lists the proposed races for the first few weeks of the season.

Making official what had pretty much been anticipated since last September, the 2024 Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga and shortened to 1 1/4 miles, it was announced Wednesday. Also, the purse of the Belmont has been bumped to $2 million from $1.5 million.

The Belmont, the third leg of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, will be run June 8, the third of four days, June 6-9, of what is being billed as the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. There will be 23 stakes races, totaling $9.7 million held over the four days.

The New York State Gaming Commission on Monday upheld the disqualification of Forte from the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga in 2022 and the 10-day suspension and $1,000 fine issued to trainer Todd Pletcher for the horse testing positive for a prohibited non-steroidal anti-inflammatory after the race.

A young prospect and a veteran who will soon be retired were winners for owners and breeders Larry and Marianne Williams and trainer Steve Specht at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

The 2-year-old gelding Wild Jewels won his second consecutive stakes and for the fourth time in his career in the $75,450 Gold Rush Stakes at a mile in the day’s fifth race. In the ninth and final race, the 10-year-old gelding Ward ‘n Jerry won what may have been his final start in a $12,500 claimer at a mile.

DEL MAR, Calif. - There is always a horse in action for California owner Michael Nentwig.

If Nentwig does not have a runner on a given day, he is almost certain to have one active in morning workouts. In addition, there are his European connections. Nentwig is frequently searching for prospects.

On Saturday at Del Mar, Nentwig and his partners had one of their best days of the year, winning the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies with Zona Verde, and the Stormy Liberal Stakes for turf sprinters with Unconquerable Keen.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Joel Rosario will ride at Santa Anita this winter and early spring on a full-time basis, he said over the weekend.

This winter will be the first time Rosario has ridden at Santa Anita on a regular basis since the winter-spring meeting of 2018-2019, when he led the jockey standings.

Rosario rode at Del Mar over the weekend. He will ride on a limited basis at the two-week Los Alamitos meeting that begins on Friday before focusing on the start of the Santa Anita meeting on Dec. 26.