A story from The Horseman and Fair World detailing suspicions that trainers intended to give their horses illicit substances before the Little Brown Jug and Jugette harness races at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio has been nominated for the Stan Bergstein award by Team Valor.
According to the piece by Gordon Waterstone, associate editor of the bi-weekly magazine, a filly was scratched from the Jugette Sept. 21 after a trainer with numerous drug violations, active suspensions in several states, and no current license from the United States Trotting Association was observed in her detention barn stall alongside a veterinarian who was administering something to the horse.
Several trainers competing in the Little Brown Jug made complaints to track and state officials over text messages that trainer Casie Coleman sent to an assistant with instructions for giving something to heavy favorite, Betting Line, hours before post time. Coleman said was referring to yogurt that the horse is fed regularly to settle his stomach, but admitted to using a dose syringe, which is not allowed in the Delaware detention barn. No action was taken and Betting Line prevailed in a world-record time.
The Bergstein Award nomination is the first ever for an article in The Horseman. Last year, harness racing writer Chris Wittstruck of the USTA website won the award and accompanying prize of $25,000 from Team Valor and its founder and CEO Barry Irwin.
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