LOS ANGELES — In early May, Corey Martinez, who is in charge of Santa Anita’s video surveillance, was going through video of the stalls of horses entered to race on May 8, just double-checking whether the last administration of Lasix was within the time guidelines.
But what he saw was surprising. An employee of trainer Richard Baltas was seen giving Noble Reflection a product by syringe into the horse’s mouth. Regardless of the type of medication, it is illegal to administer any medication within 24 hours of racing. The stewards were informed and the horse was scratched from the 10th race.
Santa Anita then started an investigation, as did the California Horse Racing Board.
