Trainer Jena Antonucci has appealed a 15-day suspension and a $1,000 fine issued by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit after one of her horses, Bee a Queen, showed the presence of a controlled medication, lidocaine, after winning a race at Gulfstream Park June 14, 2025. A stay has been granted, a HIWU spokesperson said, and her appeal will eventually go before an administrative law judge at the Federal Trade Commission.
Antonucci was further assessed two penalty points under HIWU rules, and Bee a Queen was disqualified from victory, forfeiting $33,000 in earnings for Mark Cherry, her owner at the time. Bee a Queen now races for different connections: owner Pan Am Racing and trainer Brent Davidson.
Lidocaine, a commonly used local anesthetic in both humans and equines, is a therapeutic controlled medication permitted for use in Thoroughbred racehorses but restricted within 48 hours of a race because of its ability to dull pain.
According to documents accompanying the decision by HIWU Internal Adjudication Panel member Anne Mitchell, Antonucci argued the finding stemmed from inadvertent contamination via a staff member exposed to lidocaine cream. While expert testimony outlined possible transfer scenarios, Mitchell found the explanation speculative and insufficient.
"As the responsible person/trainer of record in this case, Ms. Antonucci is the absolute insurer of the condition of all of her horses," Mitchell explained.
Antonucci is best known for training Arcangelo to victory in the 2023 Belmont Stakes (G1) and 2023 Travers Stakes (G1).
