And they're off.

A Los Angeles lawyer has filed suit on behalf of those who placed bets on Sweet Catomine during the Santa Anita Derby.

The favored pick to win the sixth race on April 9, Sweet Catomine was highly publicized as the first filly to compete against stallions at the park since 1988. But instead, she finished fifth and was retired two weeks later.

The suit, alleging unfair business practices, claims that Sweet Catomine suffered various health ailments that were not disclosed prior to the race. The suit was filed in Superior Court against the horse's owners and trainer, the park's operator and a van driver who transported the horse five days before the race to a Los Olivos veterinarian.

"We're alleging those people knew of the condition of the horse," said Stephen Bernard, a partner at Bernard & Bernard, whose client, Arthur G. Mota, is a "registered gambler in the state of California" suing on behalf of bettors. "The horse was not in a condition fit for it to run. It was bleeding, had a hoof problem, was ovulating and was removed from Santa Anita without the permission of the track and surreptitiously at 3 in the morning to a veterinarian in Santa Barbara County."

The California Horse Racing Board began an investigation soon after the race. The horse's owner was cleared, but the allegations against the van driver and trainer, whom the owner fired after the race, were scheduled for hearings on April 30 and May 1.