DELAWARE, OH – Harnessracing.com reported today that Betting Line and harness racing driver David Miller won the 71st edition of the Little Brown Jug on Thursday afternoon, rolling to a commanding 1:49 victory in the second heat on a hot and sunny afternoon.
Although there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the atmosphere for the Jug was not exactly picture-perfect as text messages allegedly sent by the winning trainer, Casie Coleman, prompted concerns that her horse could have been treated, in violation of the rules, the morning of the Jug.
Trainers Tony Alagna, Ron Burke and Jimmy Takter said they were filing a formal protest with the Ohio State Racing Commission and made it clear they were racing their horses under protest.
One of Coleman’s assistant trainers lost their phone sometime Wednesday night at the fairgrounds and when the person who found the phone tried to figure out who it belonged to, they found text messages. The content of the text messages compelled the person to contact the judges.
Presiding judge John Yinger, who is employed by the Ohio State Racing Commission, decided the text messages did not contain evidence that Betting Line should be scratched from the Jug, but Takter, Alagna and Burke were so upset by what the texts said—and to them, implied–that they conferred with Yinger and the owners of their horses over the course of hours.
Takter discussed the situation with Jeff Snyder, co-owner of Lyons Snyder, on the backstretch. At one point they agreed to scratch the horse.
To read the rest of the story click here.