Jeff Gural, owner of the Meadowlands Racetrack, has announced that he will allow owner Adrienne Hall to continue racing horses at his New Jersey oval despite her testimony during the federal doping trial which revealed that she purchased performance-enhancing drugs from Dr. Seth Fishman, reports NJ Online Gambling. Fishman was found guilty this week on two counts of conspiring to violate adulteration and misbranding laws and the manufacture of PEDs administered to racehorses by corrupt trainers.
Hall testified that she administered PEDs to her horses after purchasing them from Fishman. Her membership in the U.S. Trotting Association was revoked shortly thereafter, but a USTA membership is not required for her to race horses in New Jersey.
“We disagree with the USTA decision, and we applaud Ms. Hall for coming forward,” Gural said. “To penalize those who testify for the prosecution will only serve to further the already existing notion that 'saying something will only lead to problems for yourself.'
“It will discourage the type of participation necessary to convict the indicted persons, as Ms. Hall's testimony has helped on this case.
“The lack of action by the USTA during this five-year effort on our part to get rid of the cheats along with their continued opposition to the [Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act] legislation, which, with some changes, is our only hope of keeping the chemists out, is dangerous to harness racing.
“We have received no support from USTA or any of their members in trying to eradicate the drugs and those who use them from racing. The absence of coverage on ustrotting.com of the Fishman trial proceedings is inexcusable.
“We now have access to Seth Fishman's customer database files, which contain the names of hundreds of his clients, including several prominent trainers who hopefully can produce records showing what they purchased and why.”
Read more at NJ Online Gambling.
