Report: Jonathan Wong gets 2-year suspension, plans appeal

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority suspended trainer Jonathan Wong for two years and fined him $25,000 because of a metformin positive in a horse at Horseshoe Indianapolis last June.

Thoroughbred Daily News reported that the suspension came after a Jan. 9 hearing before HISA's arbitration panel.

The suspension was made effective on July 1, 2023, when Wong was provisionally suspended for the violation.

The sentence is the maximum allowed for the violation, according to the report.

in a statement made with owner Brent Malmstrom, Wong told TDN that he appealed the ruling, and the case will go to the Federal Trade Commission and-or to federal court. He also said he would seek a temporary injunction against the ban.

Metformin is a common prescription for type 2 diabetes in humans. It also may be prescribed for a horse who cannot exercise because of laminitis or if insulin levels are very high. Penalties for positives in racing have been controversial, and HISA adjusted its rules regarding provisional suspensions and to make detection limits uniform.