Rene Allard, a harness trainer who was indicted in 2020 alongside dozens of other racing participants, was sentenced Wednesday to 27 months in prison on a felony charge of drug adulteration and misbranding. Allard, who ranked third by both wins and purse earnings in harness racing in 2019, entered a guilty plea to the single charge in June. The 27-month sentence was similar to that handed down earlier to another harness trainer, Richard Banca, who received a 30-month sentence on the same count. Allard also will be under supervised release for one year after he serves his sentence. U.S. prosecutors said that Allard was one of a number of harness trainers who purchased illegal substances from Louis Grasso, a veterinarian, and administered the substances to their horses. Grasso was sentenced this week to 50 months in prison and two years of supervised release. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York unsealed indictments in May 2020 of more than 30 individuals connected to Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing. The majority of the people indicted have entered guilty pleas on charges of drug adulteration and misbranding, including Jorge Navarro, a top Thoroughbred trainer, who is currently serving a five-year sentence. Another leading Thoroughbred trainer, Jason Servis, has entered a not guilty plea. His trial is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2023.