Last Year's Parx Oaks Under Further Review by Equibase
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Photo: Barbara Weidl/EQUI-PHOTO
Miss Inclusive finishing first in the 2016 Parx Oaks.
Equibase, the industry-owned database of racing information and statistics, has removed the official chart of the 2016 Parx Oaks while it reviews the implications of a recent ruling by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission.
The statement, made June 2, came from Jason Wilson, president and COO of Equibase.
In last year's Parx Oaks run May 7 at Parx Racing, Main Line Racing Stable and Joshtylane Farm's Miss Inclusive—trained by John Servis—finished first by four lengths, but was later disqualified for testing positive for clenbuterol. Gryphon Investments' Eighth Wonder was elevated to first and the $60,000 winner's share of the purse was redistributed. Servis was handed a 15-day suspension.
In a ruling dated May 19, 2017, the State Horse Racing Commission Bureau of Thoroughbred Horse Racing, upon consideration of the articulated mitigating circumstances of said clenbuterol positive tests—and after meeting with Servis' attorney who argued the positive was at a concentration below levels recommended by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium—stated that: "Miss Inclusive shall be deemed to have finished first along with the horse Eighth Wonder, for the purpose of both maintaining each horse's racing record and determining each horse's eligibility to enter in future races; the forfeiture of the purse will remain in effect and the redistribution of the purse will stand and the 15-day suspension shall be modified to a $5,000 fine."
In an unprecedented move, the commission has allowed for both horses to be listed as the "winner" of the black-type race (while the connections of Eighth Wonder retain the purse), along with a second-place finisher and a third-place finisher.
The ruling was signed by Thomas Chuckas Jr., bureau director.
Equibase's statement reads: "Accordingly, Equibase has removed the official chart for this race from its website while we review the implications of this matter on our database and how the database should reflect the race results.
"We view the integrity of the results and the data, and the clarity with which we can present it, to be paramount in this regard. We will inform the industry when a final determination about the official Equibase chart has been made."