Commission to Rule on Appeal of Prozac Suspension

The Kentucky Racing Commission on June 25 will rule on an appeal of a 150-day suspension by trainer William Deaton concerning a positive test for Prozac in one of his horses at the Turfway Park meet earlier this year.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reported the Louisville hand surgeon Dr. Joseph Kutz admitted he added Prozac to a food supplement for 8-year-old Explodo Red, who finished second in the Feb. 17 race but was disqualified from purse money after the positive test.

The newspaper said Deaton, who continues to race pending the result of his appeal, wasn't aware Prozac had been added to the feed supplement. Kutz, who already served a 30-day suspension from April 16-May 15, told the Courier-Journal he forgot to tell Deaton he had doctored the liquid glucosamine used to treat the horse's arthritic joints.