As ELA very eloquently pointed out in a similar thread, there is a decernable difference between administring drugs specifically to enhance a horse's performance, and the more routine incidental overages of legal medications.
Neither should be tolerated - the difference here is that the latter
can be chalked up to human error; but to purposely shove a tube through horse's nostril in order to pump Bromo Seltzer into it's stomach is indefensable. No way around it. Don Rice made a living out of it in Tampa (leading trainer in 7 of 9 years from 94'-95 thru 02'03) until everyone had enough of his sh!t and was run out of town on a rail
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/07/Sp...ns_suspe.shtml
I don't know if Sicacca had anything, personally, to do with this - given his record, I'd say abusing drugs to win is not his problem. But if the horse in question is under his care, he is responsible.
And certainly begs the question about the completely remarkable turnaround of horses like Tobruk - a 13 time beaten maiden who couldn't get out of his own way until 9/1 at the SPA, when he went off at 12-1 m/l to break, and has 2 back to back place efforts against winners since.
I'm sure I'm not the first to notice