Report: Pa. commission denies Vazquez suspension appeal

Juan Vazquez's appeal of his suspension was denied by the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission Wednesday, Daily Racing Form reported.

In July, Vazquez was suspended after the death of 5-year-old mare Shining Colors, who succumbed to laminitis in January after being shipped by Vazquez from Belmont Park to Parx. The ruling said 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 commission said in a statement at the time.

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 year, he has 26 winners from 217 starters and $1,187,918 in purse earnings.