Appeal Filed in Brass Hat Disqualification

Attorney William E. Johnson officially filed an appeal May 4 on behalf of Fred and William "Buff" Bradley, the owner and trainer, respectively, of Brass Hat. The Prized gelding was disqualified May 3 by the stewards of the Emirates Racing Association from his second-place finish in the March 25 Dubai World Cup (UAE-I).

The stewards disqualified Brass Hat because post-race blood tests showed a trace level of methyl prednisolone acetate. The second-place purse of $1.2 million would be forfeited and Buff Bradley was fined $5,400.

The appeal is based on the fact the trainer was given a two-page document outlining medications and withdrawal times for the World Cup festival races. In that document, methyl prednisolone acetate is listed as "OK" when given more than 23 days prior to the race. Brass Hat was injected 28 days before the $6 million race at Nad al Sheba racetrack in Dubai.

The document was given to Buff Bradley by William "Bill" Greely, the former president of Keeneland who was acting as a representative of the Emirates Racing Association.