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Kentucky HBPA / YouTube

Two horses trained by Juan Muñoz Canó, who is under
indefinite suspension in Kentucky, were entered for Sunday’s card at Fair
Grounds after two races were redrawn Wednesday to include them.

Neither Fair Grounds management nor the Louisiana Racing
Commission commented after 6-year-old gelding Supremely was added to Sunday’s
first race, a $15,000 claiming sprint, and Muñoz Canó-owned 11-year-old gelding Shortlist joined
the field for the second, a $5,000 claiming route. Neither race attracted a
full field, so no entry was rejected for oversubscription.

Click here for Fair Grounds entries and results.

“No comment,” was what LRC attorney Brett Bonin said in a
text message Wednesday evening. Fair Grounds officials said any formal reaction
would have to come from Churchill Downs Inc., the track owner. CDI had not made
a statement by Thursday afternoon.

Muñoz Canó, 39, was suspended indefinitely by Kentucky
racing authorities this month. Federal regulators said his 2-year-old filly La
Bukana, who suffered a fatal breakdown in an Oct. 31 race at Churchill Downs, was
flagged in a post-mortem drug test for clenbuterol.

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, which enforces
medication rules for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, first
cited Muñoz Canó on Dec. 20. Without waiting for a hearing, Kentucky Horse
Racing and Gaming Corporation voted 3-0 on Jan. 2 to suspend Muñoz Canó for “conduct
that is against the best interest of horse racing.”

Under HISA federal rules, Muñoz Canó is entitled to have a
second split sample tested before facing punishment. His case was showing
Thursday on the HIWU website as pending.

Muñoz Canó has had five starters in Louisiana since the
Kentucky suspension was announced, including one at Fair Grounds on Jan. 5. In
addition to the Fair Grounds entries this weekend, he has six horses in five
races at Delta Downs on Friday, Saturday and next Thursday.

Attempts by Horse Racing Nation to reach Muñoz Canó to
comment were unsuccessful.

Although it is common for racing jurisdictions to recognize
one another’s suspensions across state lines, this case is unusual because Kentucky
acted on its own without waiting for HIWU. Louisiana racing operates outside
the jurisdiction of HISA, because it is one of the states challenging the constitutionality
of the federal regulator. This has led to a sometimes contentious relationship between
the Louisiana Racing Commission and CDI.

In May the LRC announced it would loosen some of its
medication regulations, most notably for clenbuterol and Depo-Medrol. That triggered
strong reaction from critics including horsemen who said that it was the wrong
direction to take the sport. CDI threatened to call off its top stakes races at
Fair Grounds if the old rules were not restored. The commission decided in June
to stand down and put its stricter regulations back in place.