Three Pennsylvania Races Lose Graded Status
 

The Pennsylvania Derby (G2) and two other Pennsylvania races lost their graded status for 2009 because the state racing commission didn't follow a more extensive drug testing protocol required by the American Graded Stakes Committee.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...-graded-status

That explains Gone Astray.

Its a shame that the three horses who won these races wont have anything to show for it other than a stakes win. Other than Informed Decision has the other two horses won a graded stake race?

This is unbelievable. The Graded Stakes Committee put themselves in charge of milkshake testing? How is this fair to the owners?

Grades rescinded for Pennsylvania stakes
By Matt Hegarty

http://www.drf.com/news/article/109366.html

The American Graded Stakes Committee has rescinded the grades for three stakes races held in Pennsylvania in 2009 - the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby, the Grade 2 Cotillion Stakes, and the Grade 3 Presque Isle Downs Masters - because horses that participated in the stakes were not tested for alkalizing agents, racing officials said late on Friday.

The three races are the only graded stakes races held in Pennsylvania. In making the decision to rescind the grades, the committee said in a memo sent out on Friday that "the testing performed on samples taken from horses participating in these races did not meet the requirements of the committee's drug-testing protocol."

The decision to rescind the grades means that the winners and placed horses will not receive black type for their performances in the races. The Pennsylvania Derby was won by Gone Astray, owned by the Phipps Stable; the Cotillion was won by Donver Stable's Careless Jewel; and the Presque Isle Downs Masters was won by Augustin Stable's Informed Decision, who went on to win the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 6.

Last year, the American Graded Stakes Committee, which assigns grades to stakes as a result of its own annual review, passed rules requiring racetracks or racing commissions to conduct tests for alkalizing agents - which are commonly called "milkshakes" - in order to retain their grades, among other requirements regarding shoeing and steroid rules.

Yeah THAT'll teach that racing commission! I'm sure they will lose a lot of sleep over the downgrading of three stakes. As if more than a handful of PA racing commissioners even know what a "graded" race is.

Funny when PA was among the first (first?) to ban steroids a few years ago their medication policy was widely hailed.

Pennsylvania ought to follow Canada's lead and start grading its own stakes.

Would the winner of their own graded stakes be in line for a Keystone Award?

Graded Schmaded..They have slots 1200 horses on the Penn Nat backstretch and maybe half can run a 50 BSF most should be plowing fields for the Amish down the road..

Philly Park is a mecca

There needs to be consistent drug testing nationwide. If this is an effort in that direction, then fine.

They would have to be the frontrunners for it.