Trainer Wayne Potts has been fined $2,000 by New York stewards and will serve a 20-day suspension for the transfer to him of a claimed horse at Saratoga Race Course in a violation of the state's claiming rules. His suspension runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 19.
The transferred horse, Mach One, was claimed from a $20,000 maiden claiming race by trainer Amira Chichakly for owner Frank Cataprano joining Pott's stable three days later. Mach One then started for Cataprano and co-owner Nicholas Primpas in a straight maiden race Sept. 12 at Monmouth Park, where he again was second. Potts runs horses in both New York and New Jersey but is currently the leading trainer at Monmouth.
There was a three-way shake at Saratoga for Mach One, according to Daily Racing Form, which first reported the suspension. A shake for a claimed horse involves a random draw of pills to determine a new owner when multiple individuals submit claims.
In a ruling posted on the New York Gaming commission website, stewards suspended Potts 30 days but stayed "having waived his right to appeal, 10 days are stayed for a period of 1 year from the date of the ruling pending no further violations of rule # 4038."
According to NYGC rule 4038.4, a claimed horse "shall not be sold or transferred to anyone wholly or in part, except in a claiming race, for a period of 30 days from the date of the claim."
On Sept. 20, Potts told DRF that he told his clients he could not put in a claim for Mach One because he was obligated to claim another horse out of that same race for another client.
Chichakly told DRF she was unaware that she was claiming a horse that would go to another trainer. She has appealed.
According to DRF, Potts said his clients were under the impression that he could not run the horse for 30 days, not that a transfer could not take place within 30 days.
