Eric Reed, best known as the trainer of 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Rich Strike , has been suspended 15 days and fined $2,500 for a gabapentin positive found in the filly She's a Saint.
The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit, the testing and enforcement branch of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, issued Reed the suspension and fine.
The positive test for gabapentin, a class 3 substance, came after She's a Saint won a $5,000 claiming event April 8 at Mahoning Valley Race Course. As a result, the 4-year-old Catholic Boy filly has been disqualified and the winning purse of $7,502 forfeited.
Reed has accepted the rule violation and the penalties assessed by the HIWU and will begin his suspension June 5.
This is the third gabapentin positive for Reed since 2018, who was suspended seven days and fined $1,000 in December 2024 when his trainee Lost Bikini tested positive for the drug after winning an allowance race at Mahoning Valley. In 2018, Reed was fined $500 for gabapentin found in a 5-year-old gelding named Plumbago after a race at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.
READ: Reed Accepts Fine, Suspension for Gabapentin Positive
While gapabentin is used in human medicine to treat a variety of conditions, primarily involving neurological and nerve-related issues such as epilepsy, the drug is often prescribed as an adjunct therapy for horses with pain rising from laminitis.
