Assistant trainer James Anthony Tracy, named in a stewards ruling as the occupant of an allegedly contraband-filled Delta Downs tack room assigned to his brother, trainer Gregory John Tracy, was licensed by the Louisiana State Racing Commission while under suspension in Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission.
Both men were suspended six months after the search of the Tracy barn turned up 59 injectable medications, 352 hypodermic needles, 256 syringes, and 75 packs of Albuterol Sulfate inhalation solution, according to the March 1 ruling from the board of stewards at Delta Downs in Vinton, La. The ruling said the contraband was found in Barn 9, Tack Room E, “assigned to trainer Gregory Tracy and occupied by assistant trainer James 'Jim' Tracy.”
Their appeal of the suspension was granted by the stewards and the Tracy brothers are allowed to continue to train and race horses in licensed enclosures, Gregory having saddled a horse at Fair Grounds in New Orleans as recently as March 12.
A Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission ruling dated May 28, 2015, suspended James Tracy indefinitely for writing $1,000 in checks “returned by the bank for closed account.” The suspension was for violation of a Pennsylvania rule stating, “A person may not issue a check in payment for a license fee, fine, nomination or entry fee or other fees, or for services or supplies when the person knows or should reasonably know that the check will be refused for payment by the bank upon which it is written, or that the account upon which it is written does not contain sufficient funds for payment of the check, or that the check is written on a closed account or a nonexistent account.”
The ruling stated the suspension is indefinite until the financial matter is resolved.
Tom Chuckas, director of Thoroughbred Horse Racing for the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission, told the Paulick Report on Tuesday, “The matter is unresolved and Mr. Tracy's suspension is still in place.”
According to model rules of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI-003-025), “The commission and the stewards/judges shall honor rulings from other pari-mutuel jurisdictions regarding license suspensions, revocation or eligibility of contestants.”
Charles A. Gardiner III, executive director of the Louisiana Racing Commission, served as ARCI chairman in 2022-23, his term ending last week. Gardiner did not respond to an email asking whether Tracy should have been issued a Louisiana occupational license while suspended in Pennsylvania.
Both Tracy brothers have numerous medication violations in the ARCI database. Under the name Gregory John Tracy, ARCI lists 11 rulings; under Gregory J. Tracy, 62 rulings. While some rulings may be for not having foal papers in the racing office or other minor violations, Gregory Tracy has been sanctioned at least three times previously for possession of medication, unlabeled drugs, or hypodermic needles and injectables.
There are 89 rulings in the ARCI database for Jim A. Tracy, including a previous sanction for possession of hypodermic needles and medication and multiple positive drug tests. A separate listing for James Anthony Tracy shows two violations: the 2015 indefinite suspension in Pennsylvania and the recent suspension for possession of contraband at Delta Downs.
James Tracy has not saddled a horse in his own name since 2021 at Canterbury Park. Since his indefinite suspension in Pennsylvania in 2015, he apparently has been licensed in Minnesota, Iowa, and Ohio, in addition to Louisiana.
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