Owner/trainer Juan Munoz Cano, initially charged in December with a pending clenbuterol violation from the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit with the late horse La Bukana, now has another six pending clenbuterol charges against him.
READ: Cano Suspended Pending Appearance Before KY Stewards
The most recent charges were posted April 2 to the HIWU website, though the alleged occurrences are months old. According to the HIWU website, the horses and alleged dates of incidents involve Beer With Ice (Jan. 15), Protomagic (Nov. 21, 2024), Global Sensation (Nov. 21, 2024), True Jedi (Nov. 21, 2024), Solidify (Nov. 20, 2024), and Outofnothingatall (Nov. 20, 2024).
Clenbuterol has previously been used in equines as a bronchodilator, but its use has been banned in recent years due to its anabolic properties.
None of the recently published pending violations or the initial case have been adjudicated.
About 3 1/2 months have passed since the pending charge on La Bukana was published Dec. 20—beyond HIWU's average resolution time of just over 80 days, as cited in its 2024 annual report. According to HIWU director of communications and outreach Alexa Ravit, the adjudication and notification process can be delayed "depending on the specific circumstances of each case."
The case involving La Bukana was related to an Oct. 31 race at Churchill Downs. The filly led early before showing signs of injury in the stretch. She was later euthanized with an injury to her right foreleg, per a stewards' report.
Resolutions involving banned substances typically take longer to become resolved than violations involving controlled medications, which carry lesser penalties.
Anti-doping cases are publicly disclosed when a charge letter is served, meaning that a B sample, known before HIWU as a split sample, has confirmed an initial test finding known as the A sample, or that B sample testing has been waived.
Cano faces a potential suspension of two years, a fine of up to $25,000, and a disqualification of race results (as applicable) for each pending clenbuterol violation. This totals to a potential period of ineligibility of 14 years, a fine of up to $175,000, plus disqualifications, where applicable.
Ravit said that Cano is not provisionally suspended by HIWU due to the current suspension already imposed by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation. Sanctions issued by state regulators are typically honored by other states via reciprocity. Cano's most recent starters came in February in Louisiana.
Cano, who began training in 2020, has 103 wins as a trainer from 812 starts made by his horses and stable earnings of $4,599,526.
