Pa. announces TRIP program

The Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission, tasked with protecting the integrity of the sport of harness racing, is taking affirmative action by commencing a pilot Trainers Responsibility Integrity Program (TRIP) to help deal with the number of positive drug tests of both humans and equines, especially those that may come from the residue of activities of high risk licensees spreading to the horse’s system.

All trainers in Pennsylvania are required to sign a document indicating whether or not they will join the TRIP. Trainers who sign up for the program will be eligible to have testing of employees, initially and then quarterly thereafter, for “free,” thanks to Dr. Cornelius Uboh of the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Lab (PETRL).

A recent augmentation of PA Code 58 section 183.357 states that if a horse comes up positive, and it is determined that the positive came from “contamination” by a stable worker, in Pennsylvania, by regulation the trainer will also held responsible, and can receive the same sanction as the stable worker.

Voluntary and compliant participants in the TRIP program would have cause for mitigation of fines and/or suspension imposed on themselves, as described above, for the violation; the non-TRIP trainer would be liable to the same punishments given to the stable worker showing the human positive.

This program, and the trainer responsibility rules, do not negate the licensee’s right to request a stay of enforcement, as found in PA Code 58 section 183.400.

“The TRIP integrity program goes to the heart of what the Commission is legally charged to do by the Legislature – ‘MAINTAIN AND PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE SPORT,” stated Anton J. Leppler, Executive Secretary of the PA Harness Commission. “The Trainers Responsibility Integrity Program is the first of its kind in North American standardbred racing. The Commission applauds all trainers who are participating in the TRIP integrity program and the industry for their support of the new integrity program.”

For further information on TRIP, please contact Commission executive xecretary Leppler at the Harrisburg Executive Office at (717) 787-5196. (Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission)

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