The New York Gaming Commission has unanimously upheld a decision to disqualify Forte from his 2022 GI Hopeful S victory due to a positive test for a prohibited substance, with the horse’s team likely to appeal the decision in court.
‣ The New York Gaming Commission unanimously voted to uphold a recommendation disqualifying Forte (Violence) from his victory in the 2022 GI Hopeful S due to testing positive for a prohibited substance.
‣ The case has been ongoing since the September 2022 race, with the findings only made public eight months later. The stewards disqualified Forte, fined Pletcher $1,000, and suspended him for ten days, a decision that was appealed but ultimately upheld by hearing officer Clark Petschek.
‣ Despite the ruling, it’s expected that the Forte team will take their case to the courts and likely file an appeal within the New York court system. Owner Mike Repole has expressed his intention to fight the decision.
Monday, December 4, 2023, was a significant day. At 3:44 pm, a decision was made that would stir the world of horse racing.
The New York Gaming Commission had convened. The topic of discussion? A horse named Forte.
Forte, a horse owned by Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola, had won the 2022 GI Hopeful S. But there was a problem. Forte had tested positive for meloxicam, a prohibited substance. The case had been dragging on since the race in September 2022.
Eight months. That’s how long it took for the commission to make the finding public. And when they did, the verdict was harsh. Forte was disqualified. His trainer, Pletcher, was fined $1,000 and suspended for ten days.
Pletcher, Repole, and Viola weren’t about to take this lying down. They appealed the ruling. This meant the case was handed over to a hearing officer, Clark Petschek.
Petschek held a session in July. His report came out on September 30. His verdict? He upheld the original findings. The fine, the suspension, the disqualification – all stood.
The commission could have rejected Petschek’s recommendations. But they didn’t. They voted unanimously to uphold them.
Meanwhile, Bill and Corrine Heiligbrodt, the owners of the runner-up in the Hopeful, were present at the hearing. They were there to support the decision to disqualify Forte.
Repole was frustrated. “They could have made the decision the day after the hearing,” he said. “Instead, they took six months to state the obvious.”
But this isn’t the end of the road for the Forte team. They can take their case to the courts. Repole has promised to do whatever it takes to overturn the Hopeful decision.
“We plan on taking this further,” he said. “Under HISA rules, this isn’t even a violation. We are super confident that common sense will prevail.”
Only time will tell if Repole’s confidence is well-placed. But for now, the world of horse racing waits with bated breath.
