New York Trainers Fined, Suspended for Positives

Three trainers have been suspended and fined in New York for drug positives, two for lidocaine, a topical anesthetic that produced two positives in Kentucky earlier this year.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott began a seven-day suspension Sept. 3, and was fined $1,000 for a lidocaine positive. The substance was was found in the post-race urine sample of Sweet Charity, who finished third in the sixth race at Aqueduct Jan. 4.

The horse was disqualified and unplaced in the order of finish. Mott withdrew his appeal and began serving his suspension at the conclusion of the Saratoga meet.

Trainer Gary Sciacca also began serving a seven-day suspension Sept. 3 and paid a $1,000 fine for a lidocaine positive for Hristoforous on Oct. 5, 2001. Hristoforos, who finished first in the seventh race that day at Belmont Park, was disqualified and unnplaced.

Trainer Edward Barker was suspended and fined $1,000 Sept. 3 for a post-race positive for the drug bupivacaine. Barker's horse, The Conquerer, tested positive following a third-place finish in the first race at Aqueduct Jan. 16.

Earlier this year, trainers Steve Penrod and Warren King were suspended for lidocaine positives in Kentucky.