Why can't I say I'm surprised.

Filly recovering from sponging incident at Delaware Park

DOVER, Del.: A 2-year-old thoroughbred is recovering well from a sponging incident at Delaware Park and is expected to resume racing soon, trainer Larry Jones said Thursday.

Maren's Meadow, a 2-year-old filly, underwent surgery in October after mucus began draining from one of her nostrils following a race at Delaware Park. Doctors expecting to find a tumor instead found a small sponge that had been inserted deep into the nostril, hampering her ability to breathe and theoretically slowing down the horse.

Delaware State police are investigating the apparent race-fixing incident, but have made no arrests.

Meanwhile, Maren's Meadow worked a half-mile Thursday at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, where she is being stabled.

"She's training very well," Jones said. "She's within 30 days of racing."

The filly's owner, Sandra Rasmussen of Des Moines, Iowa, said she is grateful that her horse is training again, but that the sponging incident has given racing a black eye.

"I think this hurts racing," she said. "It's cheating."

Officials with Delaware Park and the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission did not return telephone messages Thursday.

State police Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh said a detective is investigating the incident, and the culprit could be charged with animal cruelty and attempting to influence the outcome of a horse race. Under Delaware law, tampering with or injuring a race horse by means of any drug or "appliance," or allowing a horse to participate in a race knowing that it has been tampered with, is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Jones said he initially didn't think anything was amiss after Maren's Meadow finished third in the Oct. 16 race, even though she was the favorite to win. After keeping pace with the eventual winner through the first half mile, Maren's Meadow uncharacteristically began to fade and would not respond to jockey Mario Pino.

"She had just raced differently than she had ever raced before," Jones said. "... This filly comes home very well. Just about the time she starts getting strong, this horse really weakened."

The following day, handlers noticed a small amount of mucus coming out of her nostril but thought it might be nothing more than a minor respiratory ailment. On the second day, it was clear that the mucus discharge was not normal, Jones said.

"It had a very foul odor to it, ... and the other nostril stayed completely clean and clear," he said.

An endoscopic examination by Jones' veterinarian found a blockage, which initially was thought to be a potentially life-threatening tumor.

Jones had the horse shipped to Rood and Riddle equine hospital in Lexington, Ky., where the sponge was found.

Jones and Rasmussen believe the sponging could have occurred during a trailer fire that was set a day or two before the race, perhaps as a diversion to draw attention away from Maren's Meadow's stall.

Authorities have determined that the fire was arson but have not identified a suspect, chief deputy fire marshal Alan Brown said Thursday.

"It makes you suspicious," Jones said. "You're seeing a whole lot of things that don't normally happen all of the sudden happen."

Jones said the wagering surrounding the race, which had a $42,000 purse, also raises questions.

"I do know that the money did not go down at Delaware Park.... The money was put down elsewhere," he said. "We know that there was a reasonable amount of money that was bet on horses that were not mine."

Rasmussen, who was interviewed by Delaware State Police last month, said she is still puzzled why someone would target her horse, particularly for a relatively small purse in a five-horse field.

"I don't know anybody in Delaware; I don't think I have any enemies, to be honest with you," she said. "The only thing I could come up with is that it was tampering with a wagering situation."

Rasmussen noted that whoever tampered with her horse also could have jeopardized Pino's life had the horse run to the point of exhaustion, then stumbled and fell.

"Endangering somebody's life to financially benefit someone else is very, very wrong," she said.