Ron Burke and Jenn Bongiorno Positive Tests. Question

[bond]

Ok--Somehow a potent drug "environmentally" finds its way into 2 different tracks-Northfield and The Meadows-into 3 different Barns. Heres how it was handled.
1. First one-
-ANDREWS, SARAH J CANONSBURG, PA YOB 1975
Nfld on 5/8/2024 FINED: $1,000
FULL - 15 DAYS, 9/15/2024 THRU 9/29/2024
HORSE DISQUALIFIED, PURSE
REDISTRIBUTION
POSITIVE TEST- POST RACE
Blood sample #921342 collected at Northfield Park on 5/8/24 from the horse Roger Rabbit
was found to contain Lamotrigine. Lamotrigine is a Class 3 drug and Penalty Class A
offense. Ms. Andrews had a telephonic hearing with the judges on 9/3/24. She is hereby
fined $1000 and suspended for 365 days. Roger Rabbit is disqualified and as a result of
that disqualification all purse money must be returned for redistribution ($5,100.00). If you
choose not to appeal this ruling the penalty will be reduced to 15 days suspension (with 350
days stayed) pending no Class A positives within the next 365 days. Due to mitigating
circumstances the penalty is deemed appropriate. O.S.R.C.-3769-18-
01(A)(10),(13),(15)&(16) 3769-18-02 3769-17-43 During her suspension Ms. Andrews is
barred from all grounds governed by the OSRC. Any horses that she wants to transfer to
another owner or trainer must be approved by the judges. Ms. Andrews has 48 hours to
appeal this ruling.
So she is threatened with a YEARS suspension-along with a $1000 fine and loss of $5100 purse money.
She gets 15 DAYS along with loss of purse.
2. Ron Burke and Jenn Bongiorno
BONGIORNO, JENNIFER L ALPINE, NJ YOB 1990
Mea on 6/2/2024 FINED: $1,500
HORSE DISQUALIFIED - PLACED 8, PURSE
REDISTRIBUTION
POSITIVE TEST- POST RACE
PA Code Title 7-203.22(a) 203.22(b) 401.2(a)(1) 401.2(a)(3)(i) 401.3(a) 401.3(b) 401.45
403.16(b) 403.16(c) 401.41(e)(6) Ms. Bongiorno was the trainer of the horse AMERICAN
MERCURY for the 13th race on June 22,2024, at The Meadows. Blood samples drawn
(post-race) from AMERICAN MERCURY were tested and found to contain Lamotrigine. As
the trainer Ms. Bongiorno is responsible for the positive test. However, evidence has been
presented to show that there is a reasonable chance that this positive was a result of
environmental contamination. This does not excuse Ms. Bongiorno from responsibility for
the positive test, as she is responsible for protecting the horse from such exposure, but it
was considered a mitigating factor in determining the penalty. AMERICAN MERCURY
finished 1st in The Meadows’ 13th race on June 22, 2024, but is disqualified. Purse money
earned ($3,400) must be returned within ten days of this ruling. Ms. Bongiorno is fined
$1,500 (fines are due within ten days of ruling). Ms. Bongiorno has waived her appeal
rights.
BURKE, RONALD J CANONSBURG, PA YOB 1969
Mea on 6/28/2024 FINED: $1,500
HORSE DISQUALIFIED - PLACED 9, PURSE
REDISTRIBUTION
POSITIVE TEST- POST RACE
PA Code Title 7-203.22(a) 203.22(b) 401.2(a)(1) 401.2(a)(3)(i) 401.3(a) 401.3(b) 401.45
403.16(b) 403.16(c) 401.41(e)(6) Mr. Burke was the trainer of the horse KILOWATT KID N
for the 7th race on June 28, 2024, at The Meadows. Blood samples drawn (post-race) from
KILOWATT KID N were tested and found to contain Lamotrigine. As the trainer Mr. Burke is
responsible for the positive test. However, evidence has been presented to show that there
is a reasonable chance that this positive was a result of environmental contamination. This
does not excuse Mr. Burke from responsibility for the positive test, as he is responsible for
protecting the horse from such exposure, but it was considered a mitigating factor in
determining the penalty. KILOWATT KID N finished 1st in The Meadows’ 7th race on June
28, 2024, but is disqualified. Purse money earned ($6,000) must be returned within ten
days of this ruling. Mr. Burke is fined $1,500 (fines are due within ten days of ruling). Mr.
Burke has waived his appeal rights.

So Jenn and Ron Burke--get 0 days!!!Also not threatened with a 365 day suspension!!
From researching the drug-Lamotrine works by calming overactive nerves in your body.ie calms a nervous horse down--handy to have when you have crazy horse.
Does anyone believe this shit was "environmental contamination"?? and how many times can Ron Burke-use this excuse??
Hes now done it on multiple occasions- and gets away with it. This drug is a CLASS 3--They all have the potential of affecting the performance of a racing horse! eg Cobalt is classified as a Class 3 substance under the ARCI Uniform Classification of Foreign Substances, with a Class B penalty. People have been put away for years with this positive--but 0 here??
Ive seen people gets years suspension for medication far less effective than this.
Isnt it time to get serious about drug testing the shape Harness racing is in ATM??

[The Unstable]

Different states. Andrews has never had a positive, well Burke lets say he has about a dozen give or take in a few years.  Given that Andrews was in Ohio and given 15 days my question is since Burke received a positive for the same thing in PA why doesn't Ohio tell him he can't race for 15 days there.  Of course if they did enforce that they would give Burke his days over Christmas!

[seen2much]

The game is a joke. I can't believe anyone could get away with the environmental excuse. Even crazier are the ones who rush to their defense. Wake up stupid they are robbing you blind.
On a side note the Bongiorno horse has not raced since.
Burke horse has a win & a 4th in last 2. I'm sure he received something else.....oops I mean environmental
Andrews horse is racing at Yonkers. High condition races for Laterza.

[Dingus]

Lamotrigine has shown up sporadically at the meadows more than once.  The trainer who had it happen twice last year had 2 different horses that were in the same stall months apart.  So is it in the soil?  In any case, the amounts detected were minuscule.

[Miguel_Sanchez]

Very simple explanation.  Jenn was taking the meds to keep from shaking because she on all the crackhead skinny pills.  Ronnie was banging her and they share some spit.  They both pissed in the stall because he's lazy and she's a pig and boom - the horses stood in the piss and their lies the positive.  Case solved.....

[Parked]

How long will this  woman put up with Bro and or/ dad to trash her name with positives ??

[Love For Animals]

The penalties are so inconsistent it is laughable. All these trainers using human medications for their horses, i.e., Lamotrigine, Metformine, Gabapentine, better check the neighboring nursing homes and hospitals, I wonder if the patients are going without their medications? This disgusting business has healthcare employees, such as nurses and CNAs, as well as drug dealers, all of whom have access to medicatons. Absolutely ridiculous with all these excuses (mitigating circumstances). Own it, you inject the horses, crush pills into their feed, and stick tubes down their throats. You should be charged with cruelty to animals and thrown in jail, and never be allowed around horses again. We need competent officials and commissions with integrity, fairness, and not be afraid to enforce rules. Just face it, harness racing attracts dirtbags (not all) and per conversations with several officials, if rules were enforced, there would be no business and therefore, they would be unemployed!!

[White Rabbit]

Why oh why would the great Burke use this. To add to his never ending list of positives. He’s not the first trainer to get a positive on epilepsy drugs. The work great on calming and smooth muscles. ARCI should be looking into how this drugs affect racehorse and performance not how they work on humans. Case in point I don’t ever recall all my time in a surgical suit calling for 10 mg of Lasixs when my patient was bleeding out. But it’s used to control bleeding in horses. It’s called off label use.
If the ever have a horse racing positive test hall of fame , Burke will be the first in then Baffert.

[Grandstand Handicapper]

I don't know anything about Lamotrigine other than a discussion I had with a racetrack vet. However, I know that Phil Aristone, who is one of the all time leading trainers at Parx had two positives for this, and so did Shawn Steacy (who I know). Shawn got 15 days and a $1000 fine (I think), and agreed to random inspections and searches and other conditions for two years. Aristone got 105 days and a $7500 fine, but I don't know if that was the final disposition.

So, this has no use in horses. Then WTF is going on with no major fines and suspensions? Class 3, Class X, whatever. If a drug has no business being on a farm or track, then this should be in a class by itself. Major fines and suspensions. Second time, more, third time out. Slippery slope here.

[Parked]

Level of fines and suspensions is pretty much directly proportional to who you are and size of stable.  The numbers that are never posted must be huge. .   

[bond]

I don't know anything about Lamotrigine other than a discussion I had with a racetrack vet. However, I know that Phil Aristone, who is one of the all time leading trainers at Parx had two positives for this, and so did Shawn Steacy (who I know). Shawn got 15 days and a $1000 fine (I think), and agreed to random inspections and searches and other conditions for two years. Aristone got 105 days and a $7500 fine, but I don't know if that was the final disposition.

So, this has no use in horses. Then WTF is going on with no major fines and suspensions? Class 3, Class X, whatever. If a drug has no business being on a farm or track, then this should be in a class by itself. Major fines and suspensions. Second time, more, third time out. Slippery slope here.

Exactly right -
HOWEVER--in this case ALL 3 positives have a very close connection 1) Trainer Andrews and Ron Burke-live in the SAME Town-Canonsburg 2). Jenn Bongiorno and Ron Burke=very close connection as everyone on Plop knows.
My avatar is=BOND-so it wasn't too hard to determine that these 3 individuals were using this medication on horses. All 3 are not bipolar-but some horses they train/own were affected by this Class 3 drug.
Now the rules are--trainer is responsible for the drug test--doesnt matter how the horse got it--still responsible.
The argument of"Oh It was only a very low level-so must have got it from the environment."--doesnt apply if the tests show -that its in there!- there is 0 tolerance!!!! ie NONE-is allowed to be present--you cant be a "little bit pregnant"
Every Class 3 has the ability to affect performance--and you get days. However just because you happen to have 300 horses in your care or only 1--the rules cant be different-they MUST be the same. Judges ,officials-should be held accountable here-its total BS
HISA--they would all be out-justice served.Harness-its the "who you are-and how much money you have"-to determine days/fines. Its unconscionable what's happening.

[TimTimTimbo]

Very simple explanation.  Jenn was taking the meds to keep from shaking because she on all the crackhead skinny pills.  Ronnie was banging her and they share some spit.  They both pissed in the stall because he's lazy and she's a pig and boom - the horses stood in the piss and their lies the positive.  Case solved.....

Mystery solved.

I don't know why but I cannot stop laughing after reading this.

[Miguel_Sanchez]

Mystery solved.

I don't know why but I cannot stop laughing after reading this.

Rumor on the street Joey B has one coming.  He said he was holding Ronnie's hand while he was bangin sis and probably got contaminated from Ronnie hand then he pissed in stall and his horse was positive.  Moral of the story is when your having a threesome with Jenn B you should wear condom, rubber gloves and probably your mud suit to be safe!