Jonathan Wong cleared to resume training, but says probably won't do so immediately

Jonathan Wong, a perennial leading trainer in Northern California, was cleared to resume training on Saturday, four weeks after he was provisionally suspended by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit after a positive for a banned substance was found in one of his starters at Horseshoe Indianapolis on June 1.

According to HIWU’s website, the status of Wong’s case has been changed from an active provisional suspension to a postponed provisional suspension. Wong is now eligible to enter horses. Del Mar stewards received notice from HIWU about Wong’s status Saturday morning.

But on Sunday, Wong said he is unlikely to resume training until a split sample test is completed, which will confirm or refute the findings of the initial test. If the split sample is positive, Wong expects to be provisionally suspended again. If the test is negative, he plans to resume training.

Wong said he hopes the split sample will be completed “soon.”

“None of my owners want to transfer the horses back,” Wong said. “They want to see what happens.”

Wong had a stable of more than 110 horses in California and the Midwest when he was suspended after Heaven and Earth, the winner of a maiden race for Indiana-bred fillies, tested positive for metformin, a medication prescribed for diabetes.

Studies have been conducted on the medication for use in treating horses with equine metabolic syndrome, or the ability to regulate blood insulin levels.

After the suspension was announced in early July, a majority of Wong’s stable in Northern California was transferred to Ruby Thomas, while his smaller division in Southern California went to Kristin Mulhall.

On Friday, HIWU, and its administrator, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, announced an amended rule stating that trainers whose horses test positive for certain banned substances will not be provisionally suspended prior to the completion of a split sample test.

The provisional suspensions have been a source of contention in racing since the first such rulings were issued in late June. The provisional suspensions were a change from previous policies in force by most state regulatory bodies that did not issue suspensions until a second test confirmed a positive and a hearing was conducted, a procedure that often took months.

HIWU took control of such regulations in many states as of May 22.

On Friday, Lisa Lazarus, the chief executive officer of HISA, said the policy change was made by HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control Committee and was done with the “best interests” of racing.

“This should have been done from the beginning, but I applaud the change," Wong said of the policy change. “You’ve got to give them credit. My situation allowed them to learn from it and make adjustments going forward.

“It’s learning experience for everyone – owners, trainers, jockeys and themselves.”

Wong, 34, has won 1,194 races since his career began in 2014, including a career-best 236 races in 2021. Wong’s stable was initially based in Northern California, but has branched into Southern California in recent seasons.

Wong has won every training title at the 16 non-fair meetings at Golden Gate Fields since the beginning of 2018. At the winter-spring meeting that ended last month, Wong led all trainers with 56 wins, three more than Isidro Tamayo.

Last fall, Wong announced he planned to develop a stable based in Kentucky and reduce his stable in California.

Aside from Golden Gate Fields, Wong has won races this year at Belterra Park, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Mahoning Valley, Parx Racing, Santa Anita and Turfway Park.

-additional reporting by Matt Hegarty