Kentucky-based trainer Eric Reed has been suspended seven days and fined $1,000 for a gabapentin positive found in the 5-year-old mare Lost Bikini after she won an allowance race April 13 at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
Reed accepted the rule violation and the penalties assessed by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit, which handles testing and enforcement for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. His seven-day suspension begins Dec. 24, and his penalty includes forfeiture of the purse.
Reed, who trained 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Rich Strike , has not been penalized for a positive medication test since December 2018, when he was fined $500 for gabapentin found in a 5-year-old gelding named Plumbago who raced at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort. Reed also waived his right to a hearing and accepted the penalty in 2018.
Gabapentin is a class 3 medication, meaning it may or may not have an accepted medical use in racehorses, but its pharmacology indicates it has less potential to affect performance than Class 1 or Class 2 medications. Gabapentin is generally used along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Lost Bikini, by Blame out of the Bernardini mare Bikini Beauty, got her third win at Mahoning Valley in April and earned $17,160 for owner Jerry Jamgotchian. After this race, the mare was acquired by Quarter Pole Investments that then had her claimed for $12,500 out of an allowance/optional claiming race at Mountaineer by owner/trainer Wallace Jenkins.
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