The New York Racing Association has informed five trainers who were recently sanctioned by the parent company of Gulfstream Park in Florida for clenbuterol positives that they should not attempt to enter their horses at the association’s tracks while the sanctions are in effect. The alert, which does not carry the force of a mandate, would most immediately impact Bajan Girl, a 4-year-old filly trained by Rohan Crichton, one of the affected trainers. Crichton had said earlier in the week that he was pointing Bajan Girl to either the Grade 2 Beldame Stakes at Belmont, a NYRA track, on Sunday for the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland the same day. On Thursday morning, Crichton said that he would not enter Bajan Girl in either of the races. “I don’t want to burn bridges and bring Keeneland and NYRA into something that they didn’t ask for,” Crichton said. “It’s just a matter of being patient and waiting it out.” In addition, Peter Walder, another one of the trainers sanctioned by Gulfstream, said that he would scratch two horses he had already entered at Belmont, one each on Friday and Saturday, after speaking with NYRA’s director of racing, Martin Panza. “He said you can run if you choose but you may also bring actions against you in a hearing from NYRA,” Walder said. “If I would have known that I never would have entered and subjected myself to that. I was given a choice and I am choosing to take the high road and not bring any negative press upon NYRA.” Walder has 10 horses stabled at Saratoga, another NYRA track. Walder said that the sanction from Gulfstream expires on Sunday and that he would enter horses at Gulfstream and Belmont beginning next week. Gulfstream’s parent company, 1/ST Racing, announced the sanctions against the trainers on Friday afternoon. According to 1/ST, horses trained by the five individuals tested positive for clenbuterol in out-of-competition tests conducted by the company, a violation of the track’s house rules. At Gulfstream, a horse is prohibited from receiving clenbuterol without a prescription that has been approved by the track’s chief veterinarian. Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator that can build muscle mass when administered regularly to a horse. Racing regulators have been steadily adopting stricter regulations covering the use of the drug over the past 10 years because of those performance-enhancing effects, and the house rules in place at Gulfstream have been adopted by racing commissions in many major racing states. Crichton said that Keeneland told him that they would not allow him to enter the filly in the Spinster, and Keeneland confirmed that account in a prepared response to questions. “We appreciate Rohan’s acceptance of the potential consequences of any action that risks integrity in our sport and at Keeneland,” the statement said. The three other trainers sanctioned by Gulfstream are Georgina Baxter, Daniel Pita, and Gilberto Zerpa. Under the sanctions, the trainers are being prohibited from entering horses at all 1/ST Racing tracks for 10 days for each positive test. Crichton declined to answer questions about the length of his suspension. At NYRA, the trainers were told to “refrain” from entering horses at the NYRA tracks, according to spokesman Pat McKenna. Suspensions issued by racing commissions are typically honored by other racing states through a doctrine known as “reciprocity,” but in the case of a suspension issued by a private company, reciprocity is not a given. McKenna said that if one of the trainers attempts to enter a horse, “then NYRA will consider a number of options to determine if additional sanctions are warranted.” NYRA recently adopted internal hearing protocols to consider actions against trainers, and Crichton said that he was informed that the association would launch a hearing if he had entered Bajan Girl. “NYRA has established hearing rules and procedures which comport with due-process requirements and provide a mechanism for trainers and others to address allegations and respond to charges,” McKenna said. “In these matters, and as reflected in the hearing rules and procedures, NYRA’s goal is to protect the integrity of the sport and enhance safety for horses and riders.” --Additional reporting by David Grening