Gonzales Calls 45-Day Suspension of Barocio Too Lenient

During a Sept. 9 meeting of the California Horse Racing Board, CHRB vice chair Oscar Gonzales expressed disappointment with what he considers an insufficient 45-day suspension issued by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to California trainer Librado Barocio. Late last month, HISA posted the suspension and a $3,750 fine to the trainer for possession of several syringes, hypodermic needles, and vials of a commonly used joint injection, known as Polyglycan, resulting from an April search of his property at Santa Anita Park. Barocio, a graded stakes-winning trainer, admitted to the charge and agreed to resolve the matter with HISA. He apologized and accepted responsibility in public statements, and his suspension began Aug. 30. Gonzales raised the issue following reports from CHRB executive director Scott Chaney and equine medical director Dr. Jeff Blea during the meeting at Los Alamitos Race Course in Southern California. "I'm bringing this up only because I think we owe it to the people who do play by the rules," he said. "I know there's some very unhappy people on the backstretch where this trainer is at, about why literally this was just a slap on the wrist. I mean, 45 days is almost nothing, and so I'm just wanting to know from (staff), is this something that was out of the CHRB's hands?" Chaney said CHRB investigator Vito Racowschi was involved in the initial search that led to finding the contraband, "which is fantastic. Sadly, on the flip side, you're right. We don't have any involvement in adjudication or the penalty when it comes to like a (HISA or Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit) violation." While the CHRB and HISA are aligned on many issues—the California board frequently notes that many of its rules served as a framework for HISA—some CHRB commissioners, including Gonzales, believe HISA's rules and HIWU's enforcement are less restrictive in certain areas than California's regulations and sanctions were before HISA rules took effect. "I just think for all the upsides of HISA and HIWU, there still remain some challenges," Gonzales said. "Whether it's us being ahead of them on the crop rule, or it's us being ahead of them on joint injections, and here we have another situation where they seem to be real soft on what we believe is somebody who's committed infractions, plural infractions." "I will add that there are a lot of people in California and around the country—horsemen who are extremely disappointed and frustrated about that penalty and that decision," Blea concurred. "I mean, the reality is, if you get caught with needles on the backstretch, you're probably up to no good, or you're probably going around your vet, and you're probably doing some things that just are not allowable," Gonzales said before asking Blea to notify others of the board's dissapointment. "And I think you know, Doc—I know you have relationships with folks across the country, and if there's anything that we can do to officially, unofficially convey that we did bring this up in a meeting, that we wish that there were some other options, some perhaps more latitude that we, as a racing jurisdiction, have, I think that would go a long way." No HISA or HIWU representatives were at the CHRB meeting. BloodHorse contacted HISA for comment after the meeting. "The sanction imposed on Mr. Barocio was a negotiated resolution HISA reached with Mr. Barocio after he accepted responsibility for his HISA rule violation, and was driven by the specific facts and circumstances of his case," a HISA spokesperson said in a statement. "No evidence existed to indicate Mr. Barocio had administered a prohibited substance to a Covered Horse at a racetrack operating under HISA rules. Rather, Mr. Barocio possessed the prohibited items in his vehicle and no other aggravating misconduct occurred. "HISA continues to enforce all Racetrack Safety Program violations and considers possession of prohibited items on racetrack grounds to be a serious concern. We will investigate and prosecute every instance of possession of any prohibited item on racetrack grounds to protect the safety and welfare of horses and people participating in Thoroughbred racing." The statements from Gonzales and responses from Chaney and Blea were not part of any specific board action. In action from the board, the CHRB approved: Del Mar's application for a fall race meet, which will be run for elevated purses and comes on the heels of a successful summer season XpressBet's application to operate as an advance-deposit wagering platform in the state Proposed amendments to the board's conflict of interest code During the meeting, commissioners also discussed the future of horse racing in California. Commissioner Peter Stern advocated for a technology-driven "hackathon" that would bring together entrepreneurs to explore new business models and technological advancements. Computer-assisted wagering also figured prominently in discussions. An XpressBet representative couldn't answer board questions about CAW to Gonzales' satisfaction, but Thoroughbred Owners of California president Bill Nader later said the state continues to operate with a two-minute to post win-pool cutoff for CAW. He said CAW play was down, but overall handle was up at the recent Del Mar summer meet that concluded on Labor Day. Chaney reported declines in the state's handle in June and July, some of which came before Del Mar opened. California Thoroughbred racetracks, like others across the country, have not instituted as many guardrails as the New York Racing Association to restrict CAW play and the sizable handle generated by such bettors. CAW bettors flood wagering pools at the last moment, searching for wagering inefficiencies and driving significant odds changes across pools. The two-minute win-pool cutoff in California and other states prevents that last-moment surge that can lead to large odds swings. Unlike tracks with gaming, California tracks rely entirely on pari-mutuel wagering to fund purses.