Spendthrift Farm's Tamara has been disqualified from her Oct. 4 win in the Chillingworth Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park after a drug test by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit indicated the presence of the muscle relaxant methocarbamol. The resolution was posted to HIWU's website Dec. 16.
The positive was previously reported Dec. 10, when trainer Richard Mandella told BloodHorse that Tamara, who has battled injuries since winning the 2023 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1), had been treated with the drug to address back soreness. Mandella, a member of the Racing Hall of Fame, said he followed what he thought was a safe withdrawal timeline for the 4-year-old Bolt d'Oro filly and daughter of Racing Hall of Famer Beholder.
"We treated her for three days with Robaxin pills. We stopped on the 11th day before the race, which we have been advised that that was safe and have done it for years," Mandella said.
"However, we have a positive so I take responsibility. There's not much we can do about it. I feel terrible to cause embarrassment to the owners of Spendthrift, the management, and the industry."
With the disqualification, CSLR Racing Partners' Silent Law, who finished second by 3 3/4 lengths, was promoted to the win. The ruling gives the 3-year-old Tiz the Law filly her first graded stakes victory. Trained by Bob Baffert, Silent Law previously won the listed Anoakia Stakes in 2024 at Santa Anita and had earned a grade 2 placing prior to the Chillingworth.
