The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced Tuesday that it is
terminating its simulcast agreements with the four active wagering sites named
in last week’s 88-count indictment from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern
District of New York. They are: Euro Off-Track, located on the Isle of Man in
the United Kingdom, International Racing Group Inc. and Elite Turf Club, both
located on Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles, and the Tonkawa Indian
Reservation in Oklahoma.
The four sites have been notified in writing that the contracts will
terminate on Monday. The fifth site named, Racing Services Inc. in North Dakota,
is separately under indictment and is no longer in operation.
“In addition to this immediate action, NYRA is undertaking an aggressive and
expedited review of a number of selected secondary pari-mutuel organizations,”
NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said. “We will take decisive action in an
ongoing effort to ensure that access to our pari-mutuel pool passes the
strictest test of transparency and integrity. We fully understand that the
economic impact of this decision will be damaging to our bottom line, but the
integrity of NYRA’s pari-mutuel pools leaves no room for compromise.”
NYRA also announced that it is developing post-race testing for milkshaking
in conjunction with the New York State Wagering Board and Dr. George Maylin of
Cornell University. The program is scheduled to commence in early February.
“NYRA is widely recognized for the best Thoroughbred racing in North America
and it is incumbent on us that the integrity of our racing is also of the
highest quality,” Hayward said. “Any violation to this new testing procedure
will be met with stiff punishment.”
Milkshaking is the administration of sodium bicarbonate, typically through a
tube, directly into a horse’s stomach. The practice is considered to enhance a
horse’s performance.
The tests will be run under NYRA rules. Penalties for trainers whose horses
test positive for high levels of bicarbonate will be severe, though they have
not yet been finalized.
Trainer Greg Martin, who was named in the indictment, has been ordered off
the grounds of NYRA tracks and his horses must be assigned to unaffiliated new
trainers or be removed from the premises. In addition, his license has been
suspended by the New York State Wagering Board.