One-year suspension for Luciano Cerutti following a clenbuterol positive

The Board of Stewards at La Plata sanctioned the trainer over the case involving Sea Storm, who was disqualified from her September 22 victory. Repeat-offender status aggravated the penalty, which also extended to two racing stables owned by him. A criminal complaint will be filed

LA PLATA.— Another doping ruling has rattled the racing community, this time carrying a heavy sanction for trainer Luciano Rubén Cerutti, who has been handed a one-year suspension after the presence of clenbuterol was confirmed in the post-race sample taken from Sea Storm (Seahenge), winner of the eleventh race held on September 22.

The measure was adopted by the Board of Stewards of Hipódromo de La Plata through Resolution 1111/26, issued at its November 5 session, and will remain in effect through November 2, 2027, inclusive, retroactive to November 3,2026, the date on which his provisional suspension began.

Testing was carried out by the San Isidro Chemical Service, which detected the substance classified under Article 25,Section II, Subsection c) of the General Rules of Racing.

Upon being notified of the finding, Cerutti elected to waive the split-sample analysis—a decision that, as explained in the resolution, rendered the initial finding final and forfeited his right to submit a formal defense within that proceeding.

One of the decisive factors in determining the length of the penalty was a recent prior offense.

The trainer had previously served a three-month doping suspension between January 23 and April 22, 2024. Because fewer than three years had elapsed between the completion of that sanction and the new infraction, the Board deemed the offense a first repeat violation.

That circumstance aggravated the applicable penalty and resulted in a twelve-month suspension on grounds of doping and lack of professional responsibility.

The ruling reiterates that, under the rules, trainers are strictly accountable for the horses in their care, for authorized therapeutic treatments, and for any irregularities that may arise.

The fallout also extended to Sea Storm, racing in the colors of Caballeriza A Lo Johnson, who was suspended for two months, from November 3, 2026, through January 2, 2027, inclusive.

In addition, the filly was disqualified from the official order of finish of that eleventh race on September 22, moving Filly's Time (Annals of Time) into first place for purse purposes, followed by Heroína Texana (Nashville Texan) and Fast Royale (Daniel Boone).

The resolution also extended the one-year suspension to Caballeriza Palacio, of Gualeguaychú, and Caballeriza El Pulpo, of Concepción del Uruguay—both owned by Cerutti—in accordance with regulatory provisions governing the suspension of racing stables belonging to a trainer sanctioned for doping.

Another key point is that the Board instructed its Legal Department to file the corresponding criminal complaint,opening a separate legal track alongside the racetrack’s disciplinary proceedings.

Yet the consequences for Cerutti will not necessarily end once his one-year ban expires.

Through Resolution 1112/26, the Board stipulated that his trainer’s license will expire on that same date, November 2,2027, and that once the penalty has been served, he must formally apply for its renewal.

Authorization to resume training will not be automatic: the regulatory body will evaluate at that time whether to reinstate his license. The Sea Storm case thus leaves one of the harshest sanctions handed down in recent months at La Plata, compounded by repeat-offender status and carrying repercussions that reach well beyond the disqualification of a winner: a year on the sidelines for the trainer, two racing stables suspended, and the future of his professional license subject to fresh review.