Owners the Focus of Tough New WEG and Big M Rule
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Sunday, January 7, 2018 Owners the focus of tough new WEG and Big M rule One positive test in 2018 could lead to owners, trainers and horses being banned from all stakes races at the two WEG tracks and the three Jeff Gural-owned tracks. by Dave Briggs In today?s HRU When the big dogs hunt things can happen page 8 Fireside reading for a stormy winter day page 9 Speak softly, win often page 10 Pure Bliss page 12 2017 Track Leaders - Drivers and Trainers page 14 New Image Media Racing action early in the Pepsi North America Cup card in 2015 at Mohawk Racetrack. Owners and trainers take heed: one positive test in 2018 could result in all of your horses being banned from all stakes races at the Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) tracks and the Meadowlands, Tioga and Vernon Downs. The new rule called the Standardbred Racing Integrity and Accountability Initiative (SRIAI) is a partnership between WEG-operated Mohawk and Woodbine and the three Jeff Gural-owned tracks and is already in effect for 2018. WEG chairman Clay Horner, a long-time proponent of enhanced owner responsibility, said he hopes the tough new integrity rule, announced Friday (Jan. 5), will force horse owners to make better trainer choices. ?The objective here is for owners to be very vigilant and very careful,? Horner said Friday of the SRIAI that bans any Harness Racing Update | Page 1 | January 7, 2018 Harness Racing Update owner, trainer or horse from participating in stakes races at the five racetracks in 2018 if they have been found by a racing regulatory agency to have tested positive for prohibited substances as defined within the Association of Racing Commissioners International Uniform Classification for Foreign Substances of Class I, II, TCO2 or steroids after Jan. 1, 2018. Mohawk president Jessica Buckley said it?s important to note the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA), which oversees the wagering side of the sport in Canada, told WEG the number of positive tests is minimal each year. ?We did have a presentation from the CPMA at the end of Dave Landry December and we were really pleased to see the amount of Racing action on Hambletonian Day 2017 at The Meadowlands tests that are being done and the super low percentage of Racetrack . positives,? Buckley said. ?This isn?t a measure that we?re from competing in stakes at the aforementioned tracks in '18 taking because (the sport has) suddenly become dirty. It?s with any horse in which they own at least a 25 per cent share. really not the case. However, it?s so important for us as stewards in the industry to be able to give confidence to ?Say Owner A has a horse with Trainer A. If Trainer A has a existing owners and new owners and the players? it?s positive test of one of these natures, then all of Owner A?s important for them to believe in the integrity of our product.? horses in which he or she owns 25 per cent or more are disqualified from future participation, regardless of who the Despite the low number of Class I, II, TCO2 and steroid partners are and regardless of who the trainer is,? he said. positives, Horner explained that if a horse receives such a positive, the owner or owners of that horse will be banned ?We want partners to say to their fellow partners, ?Look, I Harness Racing Update | Page 2 | January 7, 2018 Harness Racing Update see that you?ve got horses with ?Not only is it good for the sport from an integrity point of somebody that is view, it?s vital to the animal, it?s integral to the health of the animal. From a humane point of view, we?re protecting the riskier than the animal as much as the industry, as much as the other trainer that we have owners, as much as the fair trainers who get up at 5 every horses with together. day and work their nuts off and get outsmarted by somebody It would be a terrible with a better mousetrap. We?re also trying to attract bettors? We?ve been talking about it for years, how do we get younger thing for there to be people, newer people, wealthy people, non-wealthy people mistake, or something involved in this sport? Well, if you come in on a non-level that?s done, that could playing field, why would anyone come into the business?? impact us all here. ? John Fielding And, in particular, for no selling Lady Shadow to new owners who can participate Dave Landry me to suffer that bad WEG chairman Clay Horner consequence because in future events. When your horse is out, you?re out. Just think about it, if you?ve got a horse in the North America Cup and another one of your horses gets caught with a positive from ?Say Owner A has a horse with Trainer A. If Trainer A has a a bad trainer and puts your North America Cup horse out, positive test of one of these natures, then all of Owner A?s you can sell the horse, but he still can?t race in any of the horses in which he or she owns 25 per cent or more are WEG or Meadowlands stakes for that year. Think of what that disqualified from future participation, regardless of who the partners are and regardless of who the trainer is.? means to the value.? ? Clay Horner Vital to horses and bettors The Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA) that you weren?t careful and diligent in your choice of trainers.?? represents the people that race on the WEG circuit signed off Rule restricts horse transfers on the rule. So has prominent horse owner John Fielding Furthermore, Horner said the rule is partly designed to prevent owners from moving horses to other barns in the event of a positive test. ?I would say that is, for lack of a better word, the toughest and most novel provision here and it?s expressly designed to address some of the ownership patterns and behaviors in harness racing,? Horner said. ?There?s no transferring of the horse. Put it this way, there?s Dave Landry WEG director John Fielding (right) after Pinkman won the 2015 Hambletonian. Harness Racing Update | Page 3 | January 7, 2018 Harness Racing Update who is on the WEG board. Fielding said ?I think it?s going to shake things up. I can?t imagine any sane person, who owns stakes horses using anyone that is the rule protects considered a drug trainer or someone who has had horses and bettors violations in the past because the consequences are so and should help Draconian? It?s meant to be Draconian? to send the improve the sport?s strongest message possible that cheaters are not welcome. integrity. ? Jeff Gural ?Not only is it good Campbell,? Horner said. ?We initially were planning to include for the sport from an Class IIIs and John?s advice, which always turns out to be integrity point of terrific advice, was that it?s a harder area because there is view, it?s vital to the some therapeutic stuff (in Class IIIs), some non-therapeutic Courtesy The Meadowlands animal, it?s integral to stuff. He said. ?Why don?t you start off with (Class) Is, IIs, Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural. the health of the TCO2s and steroids? There should be nobody milkshaking a animal,? Fielding said horse that doesn?t know they are doing it, so there?s no Saturday. ?From a humane point of view, we?re protecting the chance of a mistake. Same thing with steroids?? If there?s a animal as much as the industry, as much as the other owners, reason to think that we should add Class IIIs in another year as much as the fair trainers who get up at 5 every day and then we can do that.? work their nuts off and get outsmarted by somebody with a Campbell said Saturday that, ?Basically, I was just a better mousetrap. consultant and brought up some scenarios. It took a while to ?We?re also trying to attract bettors? We?ve been talking get the wording they were looking for and I just brought up about it for years, how do we get younger people, newer some scenarios with previous wording that I don?t think they people, wealthy people, non-wealthy people involved in this were looking for that could happen. But it?s their initiative. sport? Well, if you come in on a non-level playing field, why It?s not (the Hambletonian Society?s), by any stretch. would anyone come into the business? ?I certainly don?t have sympathy for guys who are drugging Horner said WEG started the initiative and then horses, but I do have sympathy for trainers that get caught approached Gural and his team to be partners. for these Class IIIs and Class IVs that are therapeutic, just ?I think it?s going to shake things up,? Gural said Saturday. ?I because it?s very easy to get one. It?s like a minefield for can?t imagine any sane person, who owns stakes horses using these trainers with the different thresholds and what?s anyone that is considered a drug trainer or someone who allowed in certain states and other states it?s not. I?m has had violations in the past because the consequences are certainly cognizant of what these trainers go through trying so Draconian.? to train horses, keep them healthy, and not get a positive test Asked about his use of the word ?Draconian? to describe with a therapeutic.? the rule, Gural said, ?It?s meant to be Draconian? to send the Hoping others will adopt the rule strongest message possible that cheaters are not welcome.