Judge denies bid to end Justify, Hoppertunity probe

A judge in California has denied a bid by the connections of Justify and Hoppertunity that sought to end a California Horse Racing Board investigation into positive drug tests on the Thoroughbreds.

According to a news release from attorney Darrell Vienna, the denial clears the way for a hearing before the Board of Stewards on the potential disqualification of both horses.

The connections who filed suit Wednesday to have the investigation dropped were trainer Bob Baffert, jockeys Mike Smith and Flavien Prat, and the owners of the racehorses. Smith rode Justify to his 2018 Santa Anita Derby and Triple Crown victories, and Prat rode Hoppertunity when he won the Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita in 2018.

Their effort came after the CHRB voted last mont to proceed with a complaint seeking to disqualify Justify from his Santa Anita Derby win and the redistribution of that purse based on laboratory findings that his post-race sample tested positive for scopolamine.

Baffert has contended that the positive drug test was caused by feed contaminated with jimson weed, which has been shown to be a performance inhibitor.

The CHRB also is seeking the disqualification of Hoppertunity from his Tokyo City Cup win and the redistribution of that purse based on laboratory findings that his post-race sample tested positive for scopolamine.

Vienna represents Ruis Racing LLC, owner of Bolt d'Oro, who finished second to Justify in the Santa Anita Derby. The CHRB's decision to continue the probe of Justify was part of a settlement agreement between the board and Ruis Racing.