The Jockey Club Sanctions Trainer Aguirre

• Print

Trainer Paul Aguirre will be denied all privileges of The American Stud Book for one year for altering the foal papers for the horse Doc Can Dance, The Jockey Club announced Aug. 24.

The denial of all privileges, which is effective Jan. 1, 2013, of The American Stud Book includes the right to register foals or submit any documents related to foal registration.

The Jockey Club announcement said Aguirre, 56, violated California Horse Racing Board rules when he altered the back of the Certificate of Foal Registration for the horse Doc Can Dance to affect eligibility for a race.

Earlier this year, Aguirre was fined $2,000 and suspended five days for his role in altering the papers of Doc Can Dance following a victory by the 4-year-old Wild Zone gelding in a starter allowance race at Betfair Hollywood Park in June 2011. Doc Can Dance, who was then owned by a partnership including Peter Accardy, Gloria Ryan, and John Xitco, won by a half-length and paid $57 but was subsequently disqualified and placed last in the seven-horse field.

According to Daily Racing Form, the conditions of the race were limited to horses that had broken their maidens for a claiming price of $40,000 or less, or Cal-bred or -sired horses that had broken their maidens in a state-bred race for $50,000 or less and which had never won two races. Previous to the Hollywood Park race, the Kentucky-bred Doc Can Dance had won an optional claimer for maidens at Turf Paradise in January 2011, but was not listed as eligible to be claimed for $30,000 in that race, according to DRF.

According to the stipulated agreement entered into by Aguirre and the CHRB at the time of the suspension and fine, the trainer "altered the foal papers the day after that particular race, presumably to strengthen his case that the horse was eligible."

• Print