SADLER, MULLINS ‘TAKE LEAVE’ FROM TRAINERS’ BOARD

By Ray Paulick

John Sadler, the leading trainer at the recent Del Mar meeting whose barn was raided Aug. 18 by California Horse Racing Board investigators amidst allegations of multiple postive tests for anabolic steroids in horses he trains, has taken a "voluntary leave of absence" from his position as president and as a member of the board of directors of the California Thoroughbred Trainers.

In a Sept. 8 email to the Paulick Report, Ed Halpern, executive director of the CTT, confirmed that both Sadler, who in July was elected by the organization’s board of directors as president, "and the board agreed" on the action at an August meeting "because of the controversy surrounding recent revelations by the CHRB."

In addition, Halpern said, Jeff Mullins, a member of the CTT’s board, also agreed to take a voluntary leave of absence
"while current CHRB charges against him are litigated." Jack Carava and Clifford Sise were named as interim directors by the board. Jim Cassidy was named to replace Sadler as president of the organization.

During a phased-in ban on anabolic steroids, the CHRB began testing July 1 without treating positive tests as violations but informing trainers and owners if a horse tested positive. From Aug. 1-Sept. 3, positive tests were to be reported as violations but but penalized. Beginning Sept. 4, penalities are to be meted out on steroid positives. According to Thoroughbred Times, Sadler accounted for 18 of 38 positive tests after testing began.