Hipódromo de Palermo suspended trainer Juan Saldivia for one month

The sanction stemmed from a medication violation detected in his charge Fuurin, following her second-place finish in the fifth race on the 18th of last month; the trainer accepted the ruling and waived his right to a split-sample test

The Hipódromo de Palermo issued a one-month suspension to trainer Juan Franco Saldivia, current leader in the local standings, following a prohibited medication finding detected in his charge Fuurin after her second-place finish in the fifth race on Saturday, July 18.

Post-race testing on the daughter of Cima de Triomphe revealed the presence of methocarbamol, a central-acting muscle relaxant commonly used in equine athletics to treat muscle spasms, myositis, and acute traumatic pain—a therapeutic substance widely utilized across various barns.

The trainer waived the opening of the split sample, acknowledging the administration of the medication, leading the racing committee to resolve the matter by imposing the aforementioned suspension. Consequently, he will be eligible to resume entries on September 12, a timeline that forces him to miss, among other marquee events, the Polla de Potrancas(G1) and the Polla de Potrillos (G1)—the opening legs of the Triple Crown scheduled for September 5, where he holds several major contenders.

Speaking to Turf Diario, Juan Franco Saldivia confirmed that the muscle relaxant was indeed administered to Fuurin, though more than two weeks prior to her race, whereas standard guidelines indicate a seven-day withdrawal window as a safe threshold.

"It is a real shame what happened to us, but those are the rules of the game and fall under our responsibilities, so one must own up to it. You do everything possible to avoid these situations, but they can still happen," noted Juan Franco Saldivia, expressing regret over the incident and frustration at missing the Pollas.

Fuurin, the filly in question owned by Stud El Doctor, returned to action on August 8, breaking her maiden by two lengths over 1,800 meters on the dirt at Hipódromo de San Isidro. The grey filly was likewise handed a one-month suspension, matching the timeframe of her trainer.

Palermo also suspended trainers Miguel A. Planas (5 months), Omar R. Farfán (1 month), and Miguel A. B. Medina(2 months)—acting as paper trainer for Gerardo Alteño.

Additionally, conditioner Juan C. Mosconi received a two-month suspension due to irregularities in the veterinary scratch documentation submitted to justify the withdrawal of City Land (Lizard Island) from the sixth race on August 10. Furthermore, veterinarian Roberto Britos was hit with a six-month ban.