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Hall Of Fame Trainer Fighting Testosterone Positive For Harness Racing Champion

Perfect Sting, named 3-year-old male pacing champion of 2021 by the U.S. Harness Writers Association when Dan Patch Award winners were announced on Dec. 20, was subsequently found to have failed a drug test from the $148,332 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows that took place six months earlier.

The ruling, published at the United States Trotting Association website on Dec. 31 and reported at HarnessLink.com, stated that Perfect Sting tested positive for testosterone at a level of 3,765 pg/ml. A split sample subsequently confirmed the finding at a level of 3,635/pg/ml.

Trainer Joseph Holloway has been suspended 15 days from Jan. 17, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2022, and fined $500. Perfect Sting, who was elevated to first place in the Pennsylania Sire Stakes via disqualification of the original first-place finisher, has been disqualified from his win, with $74,166 in purse money ordered returned and redistributed.

Perfect Sting, also the champion 2-year-old pacer in 2020, was harness racing's richest performer in 2021 (prior to this ruling). Holloway, a member of the Harness Racing Museum Hall of Fame, was recipient of the Dan Patch Good Guy Award in 2021.

Holloway, who has appealed the ruling, contends Perfect Sting was never given testosterone, according to a report in HarnessLink.com. Instead, he suggests, the testosterone level of Perfect Sting – an intact horse – may have spiked naturally through proximity to an in-heat mare or other reason. Levels for testosterone for females and gelded males are more predictable than full colts and stallions.

“Stallions can have seasonal highs and lows for testosterone levels,” said Dr. Mary Scollay, executive director and chief operating officer of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. “That's why RMTC does not recommend a threshold level for testosterone.”

Pennsylvania may be the only racing state that has a threshold level for testosterone for intact male horses, apparently set at 3,000 pg/ml.

Holloway told HarnessLink.com he has sent hair samples from Perfect Sting to a laboratory in the United Kingdom that he said “can tell whether the testosterone at that time was given to him, or it is just natural in his system at such a high level.”

The Meadowlands To Begin 2022 With Pair Of 15-Race Programs

The year 2021 may have been challenging for society, but business at The Meadowlands was extraordinary while providing horseplayers a diversion from the pandemic.

This Friday (Jan. 7), The Big M will kick off what it hopes to be another big year with the first of two 15-race programs that get underway at 6:20 p.m. Racing will be conducted on a Friday-Saturday basis for the next 31 weeks. In addition, there will be racing on three Thursdays during that span (June 30, July 7 and Aug. 4).

“Winter is normally a good time for us with some of the closer tracks dark for the next few months,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Our entry box got great support from horsemen wanting to get their horses raced, so much so that we are able to present 30 races this first weekend of 2022.”

The action should be sizable to start the year, if the final program of 2021 is any indication. Last Friday (Dec. 31), wagering on the 14-race card totaled $2.97 million, which nudged action for the year just past the $276-million mark for the 92 racing programs, meaning that the mile oval's average handle per card was a remarkable $3 million.

“We all know how tough 2021 was on all of us,” said Settlemoir. “But we were grateful to be able to conduct our races and be as successful as we were while keeping our horsemen, staff, and customers safe. Moving forward, with Covid numbers on the rise, we will be taking some precautions to keep our co-workers and guests safe and healthy for the New Year.”

Until further notice, face masks must be worn by staff and guests, regardless of vaccination status, in the grandstand as well as the FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Two Carryovers Up For Grabs On Friday At Meadowlands

While the worldwide pandemic continued its grip on society over the last 12 months, The Meadowlands managed to make the best of 2021 and will conclude the year Friday (Dec. 31) night with a 14-race program that features not one, but two carryovers sure to entice The Big M faithful, who will have gone 12 days without action at the mile oval when the first race gets underway at 6:20 p.m.

There's an added bonus. Beginning at 6 p.m., on-track guests can receive a free 2022 calendar filled with photos of the equine stars of 2021.

The Meadowlands will race this Friday, and go dark on Saturday, Jan. 1, before gearing up for its usual Friday-Saturday schedule, effective Jan. 7.

After zero favorites managed to win any of the races in the sequence, the 20-cent Pick-5 failed to yield a winning ticket when the last race card took place on Dec. 18, creating a carryover of $38,923 for this Friday.

Big M fans figure to fire away, since all of the Pick-5 races – as well as 13 of the 14 races on the night – will sport full 10-horse fields.

This will be the first Pick-5 carryover since January 2, when the final pool was a massive $360,948.

This time around the final pool is estimated to reach $150,000 and the bet – as always – sports a low 15 percent takeout. A negative takeout pool – where the return to bettors is greater than the “new money” that will be pushed through the windows – looms.

Big M TV's Dave Brower and Jessica Otten will take an extended look at the Pick-5 and give out tickets during the pre-game show.

The 20-cent Pick-6 also failed to yield a winning ticket on Dec. 18, and that pool will begin with $6,131 in the hat. The last Pick-6 to see a carryover was on Dec. 17 when the total pool was $55,626. That figure figures to be much higher this time around.

The last day of the year will mark the end of a good 12-month run for the track, from a business perspective anyway.

“New Year's Eve marks one of the greatest comeback stories in Meadowlands history,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “We have been able to overcome the pandemic as our faithful followers have our average nightly handle at $3 million.

“Our four big days of racing – the Hambletonian, Breeders Crown, Meadowlands Pace and Fall Final Four/TVG Finals were all highly successful. On Hambletonian Day, we wagered $6.4 million to end our Winter-Spring-Championship Meeting with an average handle of $3.3 million per card.”

In addition, annual total handle at The Meadowlands has increased over $100 million as compared to just three years ago.

New Year's Eve at The Big M will offer great racing. And a whole lot more.

“The Big M offers a great party with great food, along with wagering on a big carryover as well as the College Football Playoff in our FanDuel Sportsbook,” said Settlemoir. “After the races, we will close out 2021 with a huge fireworks display to ring in the New Year. The Meadowlands promises to be one of the most exciting New Year's Eve venues in the Metropolitan area with an incredible evening of non-stop action Friday night.”

GET SOCIAL: Everything Meadowlands is available by going on Twitter. You can check in with the Big M team for early changes, racing information and staff selections by going to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

On race nights, stay in touch with Otten (@JessicaOtten1), Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Shades (@ShadesOnRacing) and Edison Hatter (@Edison_1999_).

NEW YEAR'S EVE IN PINK: A great way to spend New Year's Eve is in Pink Restaurant at The Meadowlands.

There is a sumptuous buffet available for $64.95 and includes a complimentary glass of celebratory champagne for those 21 years of age and older.

Reservations can be made by calling 201-THE-BIGM.

BET THE CFP AT THE FDS: They'll be plenty of action for horseplayers on the New Year's Eve card at The Meadowlands, but they'll also be plenty of action for college gridiron fans as well, as the College Football Playoff will take place with a pair of games certain to take tons of play. The winners of the semifinal tilts will meet for the National Championship on Jan. 10.

So, you want to bet on the games? You can do so inside the grandstand at The Big M in the FanDuel Sportsbook.

The first semifinal gets underway at 3:30 p.m., where the Crimson Tide of Alabama are a 13½-point favorite over the Bearcats of Cincinnati. Alabama is -590 on the money line and the under/over is 57.

In the late game – which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. – the Georgia Bulldogs are a 7½-point choice over the Michigan Wolverines. Georgia is -280 on the money line and the under/over is 45½.

New Year's Day (Jan. 1) will see many college bowl games, followed the following day (Jan. 2) by Week 17 of the National Football League with many games having playoff implications.

Watch and wager on all the games in the FanDuel Sportsbook, where the hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Friday 10 a.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday 7 a.m.-2 a.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.-12 a.m.

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The Meadows Plans To Reduce Post Time Drag In 2022

In an effort to provide harness racing bettors a more consistent program, The Meadows in Washington, Penn. has announced that beginning Jan. 5, it will institute a new policy in regard to post time “drag.”

As soon as the post time clock changes from “1” to “0,” the starting gate will begin to move from its position on the backstretch near the paddock. It will then roll continuously down the backstretch and through the turn, picking up the horses in the usual spot in front of the toteboard and releasing them on the backstretch.

“It's difficult for people to know when to bet when a track sits on zero minutes to post for what seems like forever,” said Director of Racing Scott Lishia. “Our hope is that when bettors see the gate start to move, they'll realize that this is their final call, that once the gate starts rolling, unless there is some type of problem, it's going to keep moving right to the start.”

The Meadows Racing's TV crew will begin showing the gate car as soon as it moves from its position in front of the paddock, giving bettors a clear view so that they know the race is about to begin.

The 2022 racing season at The Meadows will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 5, with racing on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons at 12:45 p.m. Eastern.

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