Jeremiah Englehart suspended seven days for prednisolone overage

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart on Monday began serving a seven-day suspension for an overage of the therapeutic medication prednisolone, a corticosteroid that is a Class 4 drug, the second-lowest on the classification system used by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

Englehart was also fined $500. Englehart said he waived his right of appeal, which reduced the suspension from 10 days. Englehart currently has horses based in New York and Florida.

The penalties involve the horse Catch That Party, who finished second in a New York-bred allowance last Oct. 17 at Belmont Park. Catch That Party has been ordered unplaced in the order of finish and the $16,000 Catch That Party earned was forfeited by the owner, Collinsworth Thoroughbred Racing.

Englehart said the horse was being treated to alleviate back pain.

Englehart said Monday that Catch That Party was one of three horses who tested positive for prednisolone. The other two horses, neither of whom are trained by Englehart, raced at Finger Lakes, a track that is currently closed. Penalties for those horses/horsemen are not likely to be announced before Finger Lakes opens in late April.

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Englehart said that all three horses were treated around the same time and by the same veterinarian, Dr. Donald Baker.

Englehart said he followed all the guidelines involved with the medication, meaning it was administered along the proper withdrawal period typically associated with the drug. He said the injection of the medication was recorded with the commission on the day it was given.

“It’s very frustrating,” Englehart said. “As a trainer we did everything that we were supposed to do - we recorded it, did it within the legal time frame. I know I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Catch That Party has run twice since October. Englehart ran him at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 20 where he was claimed for $50,000 by Gedaliah Goodman. Catch That Party ran back 10 days later finishing sixth in an optional claimer.

Englehart said he did not plan to run any horses while he serves his days. The suspension runs through Sunday.

Englehart has recorded 1,700 career victories.