Levine faces fine and ban

Bruce Levine, the leading trainer at Monmouth Park, faces a 15-day suspension, a $500 fine, and loss of purse money for an overage of the anti-inflammatory phenylbutazone.

Levine and his attorney, Dennis Drazin, the president of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, were present at a hearing conducted Wednesday morning by the Monmouth stewards.

Drazin said the stewards' ruling will be appealed to the New Jersey Racing Commission, as soon as it is officially issued.

Trillian, winner of the 10th race on July 4, tested positive for exceeding permissible limits of the analgesic.

Through Wednesday's card, Levine had won 39 races at the meet from 88 starters, a 44-percent win average. He leads Ed Broome, who is second in the standings, by 16 wins.

In June, the New Jersey Racing Commission drew blood from all 41 of Levine's horses at Monmouth as part of the state's out-of-competition testing program. All were negative for blood-enhancing drugs.