'Cruel and abusive:' Juan Vazquez suspended until Jan. '25
Trainer Juan Carlos Vazquez was suspended until Jan. 26, 2025, by Pennsylvania stewards for “conduct detrimental to the best interests of racing.”
The disciplinary action follows the death of 5-year-old mare Shining Colors, who succumbed to laminitis on Jan. 9 after being shipped by Vazquez from Belmont Park to Parx. The ruling, dated July 7, noted Vazquez “was grossly negligent, cruel and abusive in the shipping of the horse.”
A hearing on the matter was conducted June 23.
“The evidence presented by veterinarian witnesses and the necropsy report clearly revealed the horse ‘Shining Colors’ was suffering from this severe chronic condition and should never have been shipped to Parx Racing by owner/trainer Juan C. Vazquez,” the statement reads.
Vazquez, who was also fined $5,000, is scheduled to start the suspension on July 18. He could also file an appeal. Paulick Report, which first reported the ruling, noted the suspension is timed to coincide with the expiration date of Vazquez’s Pennsylvania license.
As of Friday, Vazquez had one horse entered at Parx on Saturday and another on Wednesday.
According to Equibase, Shining Colors made her last start on Oct. 17 at Belmont Park in a $30,000 claimer for Vazquez. The daughter of Paynter had a record of 11: 1-3-3 and earnings of $56,202 in two-plus seasons of racing.
Vazquez has had numerous regulatory violations during a training career that began in 2006. They can be viewed on the web site ThoroughbredRulings.com.
In February, Vazquez received a 30-day suspension from the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission after two horses in his care tested positive for levamisole. One of the positives was from Hollywood Talent after the 11-year-old gelding sprung a 108-1 upset in the 2021 Turf Monster Stakes (G3) at Parx. He was subsequently disqualified.
Vazquez had the second-best year of his career in 2021 when banking nearly $1.8 million in purse earnings from a record of 390: 43-45-46. This campaign, he had 25 winners from 209 starters and $1,144,903 in purse earnings entering this weekend's action.