By admin 
The board of stewards at Canterbury Park has summarily suspended Jose Silva Jr. – the Shakopee, Minn., track’s leading trainer in 2025 – one day after the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority served him with a Notice of Violation of multiple HISA rules related to an attempted search of an RV parked in the track’s backside and said to belong to Silva.
Read more AP Top 25 Week 3: How Far Did Ohio State Fall?
According to the HISA Notice of Violation, investigators for the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit – HISA’s enforcement arm – searched Silva’s barn as part of suspected violations of HISA’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Protocol Rules.
“A credible witness interviewed by HIWU investigators stated that it was the witness’s belief that there was pitcher plant extract (also known as ‘P Block,’ a Banned Substance Under Rule 3000 Series) in your RV,” HISA wrote in its Notice of Violation to Silva.
The HISA document said that “Rule 8400(a)(1)(i) states that the Authority or its designees shall have free access to ‘Covered Persons, books, records, offices, Racetrack facilities, and other places of business of Covered Persons that are used in the care, treatment, training, or racing of Covered Horses.’
“As part of the search,” the Notice said, “HIWU investigators attempted to reach you in order to gain access to your RV that was parked on the backside of Canterbury Park. After stating multiple times that you were on your way to Canterbury Park, you failed to appear in order to grant the investigators access, later explicitly denying the investigators the access to this RV, a place that is used in the care, training, or racing of Covered Horses, as it was located on the backside of Canterbury Park, a racetrack facility that is used to race Covered Horses.
“When the search was being conducted,” the Notice continued, “it was communicated to HIWU investigators by a credible witness that you were 15 minutes away from Canterbury at 8:24 p.m., 10 minutes away at 8:47 p.m., and two hours away and stuck in traffic by the airport at 8:59 p.m. During this time, another credible witness saw you and one of your associates enter the Canterbury stable gates around 8:43 p.m., explicitly contradicting your statements at 8:47 and 8:59 p.m.
“In a text message to a HIWU investigator on Sept. 10, you explicitly denied investigators access to the RV, stating that you were out of town and that you did not consent to a search of your RV without a search warrant or subpoena,” the Notice said. “Furthermore, another credible witness stated that when you discovered that there was a search of your property at Canterbury, you stated you wanted to leave the track, directly contradicting other statements you made to credible witnesses on the night of the search.”
In addition to the HISA rules cited in the Notice of Violation, Silva may also be subject to Minnesota Racing Commission regulations stating: “The licensee will submit to inspections and searches, and to the seizure of any items reasonably suspected to be prohibited by law or the commission’s rules, as hereinafter provided:
“(1) When investigating for violations of law or rules upon the grounds of an association, the commission or the stewards may designate the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division or another appropriate law enforcement agency as having authority to conduct searches of any Class C licensee, or any employee or agent of a Class A, B, or D licensee under the commission’s jurisdiction. This authority shall extend to searches, seizures, and inspections of persons and personal effects in and about grounds.
Read more Sofia Vergara Has Fans In Awe Of Swimsuit Photo at 54
“(2) Each applicant for a Class C license and each employee or agent of a Class A, B, or D licensee consents to such searches, seizures, and inspections, and waives all claims or possible actions for damages that he or she believes he or she may have suffered in connection with any such search, seizure, or inspection.”
To date, neither the Minnesota Racing Commission or stewards has authorized a search of the RV by any agency.
HISA alleges Silva violated Rule 8100(a), HISA Rule 8100(b) and HISA Rule 8400(c)-(d) “with respect to ongoing HISA and/or HIWU investigations against you.”
The Notice states that HISA “may seek to impose a lifetime ban” if it is determined the violations occurred.
Silva has until Sept. 18 to submit a written response.
The Minnesota Racing Commission board of stewards ruling said that Silva will remain suspended and denied privileges to racetrack grounds under their jurisdiction, pending his hearing with HISA. He had four horses entered at Prairie Meadows in Iowa on Sunday, Sept. 13, and all were scratched.
Currently second behind McLean Robertson in the Canterbury Park trainer standings, Silva is winning at a 30 percent clip at a meet that ends Sept. 19, with 41 wins from 138 starts. He was also leading trainer at the 2025-’26 Turf Paradise meet in Arizona, with 64 victories from 208 starts, a success rate of 31 percent.
Silva, who grew up near Agua Caliente racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico, took out his trainer’s license in 2018 and has recorded 445 career wins from 1,865 starts. He did not respond to a text message seeking comment.
Read more Riley Greene, Tigers sweep away lowly Rockies
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 1:11 PM.