Total Truth, Palone Ranger test positive for steroids

June 16, 2008

One week after 2006 Pacer of the Year Total Truth tested positive for steroids at Harrah�s Chester, which resulted in the horse being scratched from Sunday�s $500,000 Ben Franklin final and being placed on the disqualified list until he tests for an allowable level, trainer George Teague Jr. also scratched three of his other horses from races at that track as a precaution.

Harrah�s Chester presiding steward Mike Hall told harnessracing.com Monday morning that Total Truth�s positive for stanozolol�commonly known as Winstrol and the same steroid Thoroughbred trainer Rick Dutrow admitted he gives Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown�came after the 5-year-old pacer�s third-place finish in his elimination for the Franklin final.

�Total Truth tested over the allowable limit for a steroid on June 8. The horse was placed on the veterinarian�s list and is ineligible to race in Pennsylvania until the steroid is tested at a level that is within the allowable limits,� said Hall. �(Sunday�s) scratches came at the trainer�s discretion. If a person has a positive and they have other horses in-to-go, we let them scratch the horses at their discretion to prevent any further possible positive tests.�

Teague told harnessracing.com Monday morning that he and his veterinarian misinterpreted the rules regarding steroid levels, and that the situation has been exacerbated because he is not a Harrah�s Chester regular. Teague said his veterinarian received a letter explaining the tolerance levels�which were misinterpreted�but he believes he should have had verbal conversations with the racing stewards.

�There is a tolerance level but it is very confusing and we misinterpreted what was going to be the procedure,� said Teague. �But certain people get warned that the levels are here and you shouldn�t be there so stop what you are doing. Is that a fair system?

�Why did some trainers get a verbal warning because they were above that level?� he continued. �I don�t know how fair that is and I don�t think that it is fair. A few trainers were warned about the level, but I do not race there enough to get the warning and did not understand the terminology. Certain people were privileged to get a verbal conversation about this test and I wasn�t in that conversation.�

Beside the forced scratch of Total Truth, who is approaching $2 million in career earnings, Teague also scratched 2007 Meadowlands Pace winner Southwind Lynx and 2006 Woodrow Wilson runner-up Mr. Apples from Open paces, and Allamerican Karnak from a conditioned pace on the June 15 card.

Although no official ruling regarding Teague�s positive with Total Truth had been written as of Monday, June 16, Hall added that trainer Greg Peck also received a stanozolol positive on his horse Palone Ranger in a $35,000 winners-over race June 1 at Harrah�s Chester in which he finished second. According to Hall, Peck has been fined $500 and Palone Ranger has been disqualified and the purse money redistributed. Palone Ranger has also been placed on the vet�s list until he tests within the allowable limit; he was scratched from his Ben Franklin elim June 8 as a result.

�(Teague�s penalty) is pending that there is a fine, and there is not a suspension for the first offense,� said Hall. �The biggest penalty for the first offense is that the horse goes on the vet�s list.�

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