(from California Horse Racing Board)
The California Horse Racing Board has suspended Jeff Mullins for 30 days effective May 9 and also fined the trainer $2,500 for a TCO2 violation that occurred in 2008, according to a release. This latest incident violates the terms of his probation from another case against Mullins stemming from a 2006 medication violation and could result in him serving an additional 70-day suspension.
Mullins trained Pathbreaking when the horse finished third in the third race at Del Mar on Aug. 3, 2008. Afterwards, the Maddy Laboratory at UC Davis reported the blood sample taken from Pathbreaking exceeded the regulatory threshold for total carbon dioxide (TCO2), which is a Class 3 violation. This disciplinary case went before a hearing officer, Steffan Imhoff, who conducted hearings at Del Mar last summer. All filings and briefings were closed in February 2010, and then Imhoff’s proposed decision was sent to the board last month. The board considered Imhoff’s proposed decision during executive session April 15 and accepted the penalty recommendations of a 30-day suspension and $2,500 fine.
Mullins was on probation for a prior mepivacaine violation at the time of Pathbreaking’s TCO2 violation. Mullins had served 20 days of a 90-day suspension in the mepivacaine case, and the remaining 70 days was stayed subject to the conditions of his probation, which required that Mullins have no further violations of CHRB regulations. Imhoff recommended that the 30-day suspension for the TCO2 violation be served concurrently with the 70-day suspension from the probation violation. Instead, the Board instructed a deputy attorney general to proceed expeditiously with a hearing to revoke Mullins’ probation.
Imhoff’s proposed decision that the board adopted and the related order by CHRB Executive Director Kirk Breed can be viewed on the CHRB Website (www.chrb.ca.gov) through the links Administrative Hearings and Board Decisions.
In a separate hearing in November 2008, the stewards at Hollywood Park disqualified Pathbreaking and ordered the redistribution of the purse in that August 2008 race at Del Mar.