Trainer Joseph Taylor is suspended 8 years for banned substances

Trainer Joseph Taylor was suspended for eight years after banned substances were found in two horses he raced at Parx last year.

As reported earlier by Daily Racing Form, the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit detected methylphenidate, a stimulant that is marketed as Ritalin, and clenbuterol, which is used to treat airway obstruction, in Cajun Cousin and Classy American.

Cajun Cousin, now a 5-year-old mare, was disqualified from a second-place finish in a Parx claiming race on June 18, 2023. Classy American, now a 6-year-old gelding, was disqualified from a second-place finish in a starter-allowance race at Parx on June 20, 2023.

Taylors suspension for Cajun Cousin began in June 2023, and his suspension for Classy American will begin in June 2027. The HIWU website indicated earlier that both suspensions began in June 2023. Taylor also was fined $50,000 for each case.

Both horses were disqualified for 14 months, beginning in June 2023. Each had one more race at Parx after the findings then moved to tracks in West Virginia, which currently is not under the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.