Trainer Carlos Lopez 3 Year Suspended Positive Drug Tests

Trainer Carlos Lopez has been handed a significant penalty by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit following two consecutive positive drug tests for two of his horses, Major Lloyd and Emperor’s Gold. After these tests, which were conducted shortly after a contest at Mahoning Valley on February 13, 2024, there were two racing suspensions, both lasting 18 months and both with two fines of $12,500 each, for Carlos Lopez. This ruling, confirmed on January 2, 2025, is part of ongoing processes initiated by racing officials to sustain integrity within the sport itself and charge trainers with the above violations regarding performance-enhancing drugs.

Both horses were ordered as part of the ruling to forfeit their purses. Apart from disqualification, both Major Lloyd and Emperor’s Gold were ordered to return their winnings, as is usual in the case of a positive test for banned substances. This is an indication of how seriously the racing authorities treat performance-enhancing drugs and how much they affect the finances of trainers caught out.

Carlos Lopez’s suspensions are tied to the positive tests of Major Lloyd and Emperor’s Gold. According to the case resolution document published by HIWU, Carlos Lopez’s provisional racing suspension began on March 27, 2024, and he has been handed two consecutive 18-month suspensions. The first racing suspension runs from March 27, 2024, to September 26, 2024, and applies to his involvement with Emperor’s Gold, while the second racing suspension covers the period from September 27, 2024, to March 26, 2027, for his role in the positive test of Major Lloyd. These suspensions effectively bar Carlos Lopez from participating in any horse training activities for the duration of the penalties.

Carlos Lopez is also facing fines of $12,500 for each of the two positive tests, making his overall financial penalty to date for racing suspension $25,000. Thus, this fine will go towards HIWU’s enforcement services aimed at discouraging performance-enhancing drug use among trainers and promoting clean and fair competition in the racing industry.

The presence of diisopropylamine in both Major Lloyd and Emperor’s Gold was detected in post-race samples taken after their February 13 race at Mahoning Valley. These samples were tested as part of the standard procedures for ensuring the fair and clean running of races. Once the positive tests were confirmed, the horses were disqualified from their respective positions, and their winnings were forfeited.

While both horses were disqualified from the race and ordered to return their earnings, the future of the two animals differed somewhat. Major Lloyd, trained by Carlos Lopez, was declared ineligible to race again until he passed an out-of-competition test. The test, coordinated by a regulatory veterinarian and conducted by HIWU, was required to ensure that the horse had fully cleared the banned substance from its system. Major Lloyd last raced for trainer Tara Reffner on September 11, 2024, at Mountaineer, but he was eased in that race and subsequently pulled from competition.

Emperor’s Gold, on the other hand, did not face the same stipulation. After his involvement in the Mahoning Valley race, the horse was pulled up and vanned off during a race at the same track on February 28, 2024. Unfortunately, Emperor’s Gold died later that year in 2024, and his racing career was cut short.

Carlos Lopez’s suspension marks a significant setback in his career as a trainer. The lengthy duration of the suspensions, combined with the hefty fines, will undoubtedly have a financial and professional impact on Carlos Lopez. This ruling reminds the horse trainers in the industry of the importance of keeping clean practices and adhering to the regulations put forth by governing bodies like HIWU.

When it comes to anti-doping regulations, trainers face the threat of suspension, heavy fines, and reputation damage. The case of Carlos Lopez will join a litany of such happenings in the racing world where trainers are discovered using some performance-enhancing drugs to gain an edge. This serves as a deterrent to the rest who might consider breaking the rules in their next pursuit of winning races and advancing their careers.