California Vet Fined for Late Salix Shot

Veterinarian Amy Lee Nevens has been fined $750 by the California Horse Racing Board for falsely reporting when she administered a Salix shot last September at Del Mar.

The case concerns Intercontinental, who would go on to win an Eclipse Award as the top North American Turf Female of 2005. On Sept. 3, when Intercontinental raced in the Palomar Handicap (gr. IIT), Nevens administered a Salix shot to the mare at 12:10 p.m. for the 3:35 p.m. Palomar, less than the four-hour window mandated by CHRB rule 1845, paragraph e. In addition, Nevens reported that day she administered the Salix at 11:30 a.m. on both the Bleeder Treatment Report and the Confidential Veterinarian Report.

However, a security guard recorded the administration of the shot on a video camera with a time stamp, and Nevens admitted giving the medication at 12:10 to the CHRB at its Oct. 13 meeting.

Jim Ford, co-owner of Palomar fourth-place finisher Katdogawn, said he has sent a letter to CHRB commissioner Richard Shapiro requesting the re-distribution of the Palomar's purse.

"Moving up to third would only make a $9,000 difference and it would cost three times that to pursue this through the courts," Ford noted, "but with all this talk about California being tough on drugs, they have a chance here to do something. I think they should have a hearing, admit they made a mistake, and re-distribute the purse. Right now the buck is stopping pretty low on the totem pole."

Intercontinental won the Palomar at odds of 3-10, then went on to take the WinStar Galaxy (gr. IIT) at Keeneland and the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Belmont Park. The then-5-year-old mare won five of seven starts on the year as a homebred for Juddmonte Farms and trainer Bobby Frankel.