Trainer Steve Asmussen

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission issued a 30-day suspension to Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen on Nov. 30, 2019, after two of his trainees were found to have Acepromazine in their post-race urine samples.

Acepromazine is a sedative which can be used to calm horses on the racetrack.

The first ruling was for Thousand Percent, who won at Churchill Downs on June 28, 2018. According to the guidelines published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International, the allowable threshold for Acepromazine in a post-race sample is 10 nanograms per milliliter. Thousand Percent was found to have 76 ng/ml in the urine sample, and was disqualified with all purse money forfeited. Asmussen was also fined $1,000 for this overage.

The second ruling was for Boldor, a winner at Keeneland on October 25, 2018. Boldor was found to have 17.7 mg/nl of Acepromazine in his urine sample, and was also disqualified with purse money forfeited. For this overage, Asmussen was fined another $2,500. An additional 30-day suspension was stayed, pending no Class A or B medication violations within the next year.

Asmussen will serve his suspension from December 20, 2019 through January 18, 2020 (inclusive).

The rulings can be found here and here.

A Daily Racing Form report published Wednesday indicated Asmussen will be granted a stay of suspension while he appeals the ruling.

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