“Bute” positive NJRC reports are updated

Apparently with most avenues exhausted, the New Jersey Racing Commission last week updated their rulings on eight prominent harness racing trainers, all of whom were found back in 2020 to have raced horses with the presence of Phenylbutazone in their systems.

The aforementioned group were taken aback when a number of horses in their care received positive tests for the application of the product after a sudden rule change came into effect which shifted the withholding time for Bute from 24 hours to 48 hours.

According to the evidence that was ultimately put before a federal judge, no communication was made by the New Jersey Racing Commission informing horseman, the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOANJ), or licensed veterinarians of such change.

Even today, Friday, December 29, 2023, the publicly available information on the New Jersey Racing Commission website continued to communicate that the withholding period for the application of the product was 24 hours.

The rules in question, N.J.A.C. 13:71-23.8(f)1 and 2, prescribe a 24-hour period in the online version of the document, which is still listed as up to date as of Dec. 29, 2023. No amendments to the section are registered since 2014.

Harnesslink had an exclusive interview with some of the trainers involved which can be read by clicking here.

The eight trainers are Jeff Cullipher, Kelvin Harrison, Richard Johnson, Kevin McDermont, Marcus Melander, R Nifty Norman, Brett Pelling, and Keith Torro.

For each offense, every trainer is fined $500 and given a 15-day suspension starting in January 2024.

Another longtime battled positive was finalized for Ron Burke, $500 and 15 days for a Hydroxylidocaine positive back in 2021 and within this year, Nik Drennan was fined $500 and suspended for 15 days for a Dexamethasone positive at Freehold Raceway on Jan. 13, 2023.

For a listing of all state racing commission reports to the USTA, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink