Lou Pena suspended for 1,700 drug violations

[Duane Ranger]

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board, after a comprehensive and ground-breaking investigation with assistance from racing officials from New Jersey, has suspended harness racing trainer Luis (Lou) Pena immediately and indefinitely for illegally drugging horses in nearly 700 races in New York State and amassing more than 1,700 equine drug violations.


He has been suspended on the following 15 charges:
1) Fraud and Misrepresentation.
2) Adrenocorticotropic (ACTH), hormone.
3) Betamethasone (Celestone), steroid.
4) Clenbuterol (Ventipulman).
5) Cromolyn Sodium, Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID).
6) Fircoxib, NSAID.
7) Flumethasone, Steroid.
8) Glycopyyplate (Robinul).
9) Gonadorelin or GnRH (factrel) hormone.
10) Hyaluronic Acid derivative.
11) Joint injection of steroid (Celestone).
12) Joint injection of steroid (Cortistone).
13) Levothyroxine, hormone.
14) Methocarbamol (eg: Robaxin)
15) Magnesium Sulfate (Mag).

http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=97839

[Starship Captain]

Duane, I recall a 2 or 3 piece interview you did with him.
Ending one of them with "tomorrow we ask Lou what is the key to his success" something along those lines. WTF is his answer now.

[Duane Ranger]

Jason;

If you read the article correctly Lou Pena hasn't received a single positive test. The violations relate to drugs that had been used by veterinarians during the week - and it appears that Lou Pena has had to produce all of his vet reports.
This is unprecedented in the harness racing world.
This is obviously a test case.
As far as referring to what we report we try and report both sides to every story.
I AM NOT IN THE HABIT OF EXPRESSING MY OWN OPINIONS! Never have , never will.
Journalists don't take sides, but I will report what is handed out via media releases.
We are currently in the process of contacting Lou about his charges.
Duane Ranger (editor - Harnesslink)

[aussiebreno]

I AM NOT IN THE HABIT OF EXPRESSING MY OWN OPINIONS! Never have , never will.
Journalists don't take sides, but I will report what is handed out via media releases.

I know they are two seperate sentences but journalists do take sides and write opinion pieces. That said as a harness journalist I don't think that is required or expected.

[Triple V]

Jason;
Journalists don't take sides,

[VVV] BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH STOP IT DUANE...YOU'RE KILLIN' ME BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Come over here and spend 1/2 an hour with the Canberra Press Gallery.

[THE TRUTH]

My first post---I wanted to set the record straight.
This case is not unprecedented in the harness racing world.
This is NOT a test case.
Carmine Fusco in NYork-at Yonkers received a 5 year suspension last year for exactly the same thing--using medications inside the withrawal times without incurring a positive--his VET Records were also examined.
This practice of giving multiple medications in order to achieve a desired result without coming up positive is known as "STACKING"

[Viv Strangman]

Have to disagree with you bigtime. This is a first in harness racing. Carmine Fusco had a series of positive tests which lead to an investigation of his training setup. The withholding time charges were a byproduct of that investigation, not the reason for it. Pena has had no positive tests in NY-NJ that I am aware of so why has he been singled out. Pena is third on the trainers UDR at the moment so how come the two ahead of him havnt had the same scrutiny applied to their operations. The times for all of the medications listed in this case vary enormously from one racing jurisdiction to another which leads to the farce we have here. Couple that with some of the substances such as Epsom salts being used by Pena and it all seems a bit surreal.

[THE TRUTH]

Thats all correct Viv-however the Carmine Fusco case opened the door for everyone to see what COULD happen if you disregard the NY Withdrawal times.ANY trainer with a large public stable now had to be ultra careful to play within the rules. Pena not only did not comply--he was the biggest perpetrator of violations. Pena IS the top trainer at Yonkers.Other trainers were complaining vociferously every day that Pena could be cheating. He was also allegedly jamming claimers-and going off at 1/5- hurting the product. Claiming his horses had stopped-because if you claimed one off him-it could go backwards the NEXT WEEK.
This did not happen with other trainers--so that's why Pena was under the microscope. IMO The game may be way better off without him--which is why Yonkers banned him in the first place--and handle actually went UP.
Ban Pena for life--and make every other trainer comply with the rules and check Vet records of other high % trainers.

[bettor2belucky]

Jason;

If you read the article correctly Lou Pena hasn't received a single positive test. The violations relate to drugs that had been used by veterinarians during the week - and it appears that Lou Pena has had to produce all of his vet reports.
This is unprecedented in the harness racing world.
This is obviously a test case.
As far as referring to what we report we try and report both sides to every story.
I AM NOT IN THE HABIT OF EXPRESSING MY OWN OPINIONS! Never have , never will.
Journalists don't take sides, but I will report what is handed out via media releases.
We are currently in the process of contacting Lou about his charges.
Duane Ranger (editor - Harnesslink)

Lou DID NOT turn over his vet records! They were turned over to the NJRC ,who shared them with NYS racing commission, at their request . I also noted out of the trainers interviewed just Burke( who's winning % dropped at the BigM after his Jersey racing stock had their blood pulled) and Harrison seem to be the only Lou supporters. I think 9/10 of the trainers who raced against Pena feel he is using illegal meds in his horses. I do agree you should be considered innocent until proven guilty. But not one gambler has ever been given their money back when cheaters are found guilty , not one owner who raced against them has gotten money back and not one owner who had horses with cheaters had ever given back all their monies won. Where are their rights?

[G-Mac]

A bit heavy handed by officials.
Whatever happened to the 3,000 strikes and you're out rule?