“This is somebody who did absolutely nothing wrong,” Mostoller said.

On Friday, the Pennsylvania Racing Commission published its ruling in which Vitali was suspended for one year and fined $10,000 after the horse Single Lady (Shanghai Bobby) tested positive for d-methamphetamine after winning a Aug. 21 maiden special weight race at Presque Isle Downs. Vitali has appealed the suspension.

Mostoller believes the filly came into contact with someone who had been using the drug, and that's how it got into her system.

“The bottom line is that this is environmental contamination,” he said. “There have been a number of methamphetamine positives in Pennsylvania. They've all been at the extremely small picogram level. No one gave methamphetamine to a horse. It's in the environment around us. It's a problem. And our industry has yet to really deal with the problem.”

Mostoller said there have been “three or four” other methamphetamine positives between Presque Isle Downs and Penn National in recent months and that in all other cases the stewards found there were extenuating circumstances and the trainers were not held responsible. The TDN was not able to confirm Mostoller's contention.

In 2017, a Peter Miller-trained horse tested positive for methamphetamine after running in the Pennsylvania Governor's Cup at Penn National. The Pennsylvania Racing Commission ruled that there were “mitigating circumstances” and fined Miller $1,500 but did not suspend him.

In 2016, five horses at Lone Star Park tested positive for meth. The Texas Racing Commission concluded that the horses were contaminated by their handlers and, while the horses were disqualified, the trainers were not penalized

Mostoller hinted that Vitali, who has been in and put of trouble for years, might be treated differently than others.

“This is absurd. It goes beyond common sense,” he said. “Unfortunately for Vitali, he is a hot-button name.”

But Mostoller went on to explain that in the other recent meth cases, it was confirmed that someone handling the horses had used meth. That has not happened with Single Lady.

“In this case, nobody tried to find the source,” he said. “No employees were tested. So, you're certainly not going to find the source of environmental contamination if you don't look for it. This is under appeal and we'll see where it goes from there.”

Single Lady is owned by Carolyn Vogel, 80, who races under the name of Cross Sabres Farm. Prior to Vitali filing for an appeal, Single Lady was placed on the stewards' list for 90 days.  Vogel has been one of Vitali's most loyal owners and has stuck by him despite the trainer's history. She said she has seven horses with him and when asked if she intended to keep them with Vitali she responded, “I will stick by him until further notice.”

When asked what she likes about Vitali, she responded: “He is very good with legs and he is very hands on. He doesn't have too many horses and he is not real expensive. He makes it more affordable and fun.”

Is she concerned about his reputation?

“I don't think he is a cheater,” she said. “He might push the envelope, but he doesn't cheat.”

Vitali is currently racing at Turf Paradise and, due to the appeal, has remained eligible to race there. He has horses entered there on Tuesday and Friday. Both are owned by Vogel.

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The news came in the form of a one-page memo to members issued Friday by Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association executive director Todd Mostoller.

“For the first time since the pandemic started, we have some clarity on our ability to fund purses at the current level for the remainder of the year,” Mostoller wrote May 21 about Penn National. “Barring another outbreak, we are very confident the purse account can fund three-day-per-week racing for the remainder of 2021.”

Tuesdays will join Wednesdays and Fridays in Penn National's three-day weekly (eight races nightly) schedule.

At Presque Isle, Mostoller wrote that “should this trend continue, we will look to add race days to the end of the meet above and beyond the currently scheduled 52-day meet.”

Mostoller added that the signing of a one-year extension to the current live racing agreement with Presque Isle is “imminent” and that “the parties have agreed in principle and the language is currently being drafted.”

The stable area at Presque Isle opens June 14.

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“In order to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of Thoroughbred racehorses and to properly safeguard the integrity of racing, the Commission adopted this policy of limiting the use of Lasix as set forth below in accordance with national standards,” reads the Administrative Policy Notice distributed by the PSHRC.

In addition, an update from Pennsylvania HBPA executive director Todd Mostoller indicated that Tuesday racing will be added to the schedule at Penn National beginning June 8, with races being held Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Important updates for horsemen at @HollywoodPenn & @PID_Casino from our Executive Director… pic.twitter.com/k2XZZBGZd9

— Pa HBPA (@PA_HBPA) May 21, 2021

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“We are excited to once again offer the Penn Mile as it signals a return to normalcy,” said Eric Johnston, Director of Racing Operation for Penn National. “The race has quickly established itself on the national racing calendar by bringing the best horses, horsemen and jockeys to central Pennsylvania while also helping to establish some of the highest betting handles in Penn National history.”

The Penn Mile, first run in 2013, quickly achieved Grade 3 status in 2015 and was minted as a Grade 2 in 2017 by attracting notable Grade 1 winners such as Catch a Glimpse, Bobby's Kitten and Force the Pass. The 2019 edition of the Penn Mile produced the second largest betting handle in Penn National's 49 year history with the top five all-time wagering handles at Penn National Race Course all having occurred on the Penn Mile racing program.

“We are pleased with the success of the Penn Mile and appreciate the recognition it brings for our racing program, as a whole,” said Todd Mostoller, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania HBPA.

First Post for the day is scheduled for 6:00 P.M. EDT, with the Penn Oaks, also at one mile on the turf, being run at approximately 7:15 P.M. and the Penn Mile at 7:45 P.M.

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Should Gov. Tom Wolf extend the casino closure past the current Jan. 4 expiration date, however, racing at Penn National will become contingent on track handle.

“Penn National has agreed to continue live racing through [January], provided the handle generates a break-even scenario for the company,” Mostoller wrote. “This is estimated to be a handle of roughly $1.4 million per night.”

Mostoller's memo indicated that both the track and the Pennsylvania HBPA are confident that level of handle is achievable, but added that if it is not, Penn National management will “likely wish to temporarily shut down racing.”

The memo concluded with an encouragement to bet the races through HollywoodRaces.com: “A bet placed on Penn National races through this ADW is treated the same as a wager placed on track, resulting in considerably higher revenue for both horsemen and the track.”

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“Penn National has agreed to continue live racing through [January], provided the handle generates a break-even scenario for the company,” Todd Mostoller, the PHBPA’s executive director, wrote in a one-page memo to members issued Tuesday afternoon. “This is estimated to be a handle of roughly $1.4 million per night.”

Mostoller wrote that the PHBPA and Penn “are confident that we can achieve that handle level. Should we be unable to do so, however, Penn National management will likely wish to temporarily shut down racing.”

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“This has been a challenging meet, to say the least,” said Todd Mostoller, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania HBPA. “But, the cooperation from every segment of the Presque Isle community, from the Churchill Downs management team, particularly Matt Ennis, the Director of Racing, to the owners and trainers, to the incredibly-devoted backstretch workers who care for these horses, has been nothing short of remarkable.

“The pandemic has forced everyone in racing to be creative, and to be resourceful,” Mostoller added. “There's no better example of that than what continues to take place every day at Presque Isle Downs. This purse increase is a great way to say thanks to our great horsemen who stepped up big-time to support this meet.”

Racing at Presque Isle Downs will continue, Mondays through Thursdays, through Oct. 22, with a 4:45 pm first post.

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