 Before his fourth-place finish, Laurin and Penny Chenery thought he was unusually docile in the saddling paddock and Turcotte described him as having been "dull" in the post parade.When Riva Ridge returned to Saratoga the day after, he tested positive for traces of a tranquilizer derivative, indicating someone had likely given him a tranquilizer between 8 and 48 hours before the race.However, Riva Ridge was not tested immediately after the race by officials and the levels reported were not grounds for any action regardless.