HISA enforcers suspend trainer Nevada Litfin for 5 months

The enforcement arm of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority  has suspended trainer Nevada Litfin for five months and fined him $3,500 for multiple controlled medication-related violations at Canterbury Downs.

A post on HISA's Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit website said the penalty was imposed after Litfin violated numerous HISA rules on Aug. 16 while tending to the 4-year-old gelding Dominus Tecum at Canterbury.

The post listed the violations as "use or attempted use of a controlled medication"; "administration or attempted administration of a controlled medication"; "aggravating circumstances"; possession of  controlled substances - acetylcysteine, used primarily to treat lung constriction, and furosemide (Lasix) - prohibited during the race period; as well as possession of a hypodermic needle/syringe.

It indicated that Litfin, 42, admitted the violations and accepted the consequences. The Dominus Tecum incident resulted in a three-month suspension by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, which was extended to five months because the multiple violations resulted in nine "penalty points," the post said.  

It did not provide any additional details, but the Minnesota Racing Commission summarily suspended Litfin on Aug. 23 for "conduct detrimental to the integrity of racing" that was observed by security personnel.

Litfin, who has been training since 2000 and has a career record of 2,126: 194-214-245, according to Equibase. He was enjoying his best year to date at the time of his suspension, with his horses having amassed more than $437,000 in earnings. 

Dominus Tecum, who had not started at the time of the incident, subsequently won his debut in a maiden special weight race for trainer McLean Robertson on Sept. 3 before finishing 12th and last in an allowance race 10 days later.