Rucker horse EPO positive

The 10-year-old pacer Highland Pride A, who was winless in 23 starts in 2005 but has won nine of 17 starts this year, has tested positive for EPO following a career-best 1:52.2 victory at the Meadowlands Sunday, May 7, and has been placed on the stewards’ list. New Jersey Racing Commission executive director Frank Zanzuccki told harnessracing.com Friday morning that a hearing will be held with trainer Ken Rucker, but that there are no rules in place that would call for Rucker to be penalized for the infraction.

“There are no penalties in the regulations that the trainer would be subject to,” said Zanzuccki. “As always, the safety and health of the horses come first and (Highland Pride A) had an extremely high level of EPO for a normal horse and when that level comes down to an acceptable level then that horse would be able to compete.”

Zanzuccki said that further tests are only done in 21-day increments and at the owner’s cost. He added that this was the first EPO positive in New Jersey since the state began testing in March.

Highland Pride A was claimed for $10,000 by Rucker’s Rucker Stable and Illinois Harness Horsemen Association president Martin Engel’s Engel Stable last October at Balmoral Park from trainer Robin Schadt. The horse made seven starts through the rest of the year for Rucker with only one third.

After racing primarily at Balmoral Park through mid March of this year, Highland Pride A was sent to the Meadowlands where he has three wins, two seconds, one third and one fourth in seven starts. He currently has seasonal earnings of $52,813.

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