Report: Turf Monster winner Hollywood Talent (108-1) fails drug test

Horseplayers were stunned on Sept. 25 when the 10-year-old gelding Hollywood Talent, winless since taking an $8,000 claimer more than a year earlier, finished with a flourish to pull off a 108-1 upset in the Turf Monster (G3) at Parx. 

That victory is now in doubt. According to Paulick Report, Hollywood Talent failed his post-race drug test due to the presence of Levasimole. He is trained by Juan C. Vazquez and owned by King Star.

Levasimole is a Class 2-C violation. While the substance is designed to treat parasitic worms in livestock, a previous study by the National Library of Medicine found Levasimole has "high abuse potential" because of its "amphetamine-like pharmacological activity."   

A split sample from Hollywood Talent has yet to be tested to confirm the presence of Levasimole, Paulick Report noted. 

Hollywood Talent has a record of 52: 12-11-7 with earnings of $635,071. In 2019, the Pennsylvania-bred Talent Search gelding was third in the Turf Monster and also won the black-type Marshall Jenney Handicap at Parx.