New York Racing Association | Horse Racing Free Tips

Potts Faces Lengthy Suspension After Drug Found in His Tackroom

Embattled trainer Wayne Potts was hit with a 45-day suspension Sunday by the New York Gaming Commission, which charged that a drug found in his tackroom was not approved by the FDA for use in Thoroughbred horses. The suspension is set to begin Apr. 10. Potts has waived his right to an appeal.

The drug was found Feb. 17.

The New York regulators decided to divide up Potts's 45 day-suspension so that it correlates with still another suspension he is facing, one from the New Jersey Racing Commission. In January, the New Jersey commission posted a ruling in which Potts and his assistant trainer Bonnie Lucas were hit with a 30-day suspension and a $1,000 fine for “conduct detrimental to racing.” On Aug. 6, 2021, Potts allegedly told Lucas to not permit one of his trainees to be vanned off the track after a race at Monmouth Park despite an order to do so from the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) veterinarian. That suspension is set to begin on opening day at Monmouth, which is May 7.

Beforehand, Potts will serve the first part of his New York suspension. After the New Jersey suspension has run its course, Potts will serve the remainder of the New York suspension. All together, his suspension adds up to 75 days and runs from Apr. 10 through June 23. Potts was the leading trainer at Monmouth last year.

Potts declined to comment when reached via text by the TDN, but forwarded a letter from the company Recellerate to the New York Gaming Commission regarding a product called Equiflow, which is purported to be a treatment for exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). It goes on to describe Equiflow as “an investigational stem-cell derived concentrated protein serum developed as a treatment to EIPH.” The letter, signed by Recellerate President Karl Norbert, maintains that the product is not a performance-enhancer. Norbert writes that the FDA has approved no stem cell products for horses to date, which means that if Equiflow is regarded as an illegal substance then any horse treated in New York with any stem cell therapies would be subject to being excluded from racing.

In what appears to be unrelated to the finding of the non-FDA approved drug, NYRA announced last week that Potts was among six trainers who, effective last Wednesday, had lost their stall privileges and would be required to remove all their horses from the Belmont Park backstretch. However, Potts and the rest were being permitted to run at the NYRA tracks, for now, a moot points since Potts will be sidelined until late June.

Potts also ran afoul of authorities during last year's Saratoga meet when it was alleged he violated rules regarding a claim, which resulted in a 30-day suspension. The New York Gaming Commission charged that the horse, Mach One (Air Force Blue), was claimed by Potts's owners Frank Catapano and Nicholas Primpas by trainer Amira Chichakly and then transferred to Potts. Potts claimed another horse from the same race and trainers are not allowed to claim more than one horse in any given race.

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Davis, Rodriguez Take Aqueduct Winter Meet Titles

Jockey Dylan Davis captured the first riding title of his career, posting 63 wins at the 2021-22 Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet that ran from Dec. 9 to Mar. 27. Rudy Rodriguez paced all trainers with 33 wins, while Klaravich Stables secured the owner's title with 10 wins.

Davis, who is represented by agent Mike Migliore, finished nine wins ahead of runner-up Trevor McCarthy and 10 wins clear of third-place Kendrick Carmouche.

“It's incredible. I'm grateful and honored. I've worked very hard for this,” said Davis. “I'm grateful I can have this success and get one of the titles. My agent Mike works very hard behind the scenes to get me the mounts. Thanks to the owners and the trainers and everyone on the backside, especially the horses. The horses are the main thing–they are running for me and putting up performances.”

The 27-year-old native of Manhasset, NY achieved three four-win days Jan. 23, Feb. 26 and Mar. 26, and completed the meet with a record of 301-63-58-36 for total purse earnings of $3,411,574.

Rodriguez won his second consecutive Big A winter meet title and 13th overall training title at NYRA, sending out 33 winners, eight wins more than second-place trainer Rob Atras and 13 ahead of third-place finisher Chad Brown. He earned top trainer honors at last year's Big A winter meet with 36 winners and has taken home a total of 11 titles at Aqueduct.

“It's unbelievable,” said an emotional Rodriguez. “All the credit goes to the people in the barn. Most of the people that work with me here have been with us since day one.”

Rodriguez started 151 horses for a record of 33-22-20 and $1,506,693 in earnings. His runners posted a win rate of 21.85% and a 49.67 in-the-money percentage.

Rodriguez said each of his wins this meet were memorable.

“They're all very special,” Rodriguez said. “It's a lot of hard work dealing with the winter cold.”

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables posted a 21-10-2-3 record with total purse earnings of $623,160. It was a three-way tie for second between Windylea Farm [38-8-8-2, $331,058], Repole Stable [31-8-4-2, $292,161] and Michael Dubb [33-8-4-2, $458,427].

Live racing continues Thursday at the Big A, Opening Day of the 15-day spring meet that runs through Apr. 24.

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Longtime NYRA Employee Eddie Brown Dies

Eddie Brown, who worked for many years at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, most recently as the New York Racing Association's assistant clerk of scales, has passed away, NYRA announced Sunday. Brown, who was 85, retired in 2019 and lived in Seaford, NY.

A racetrack to the core, Brown turned a childhood love of horse racing into a career on the track that lasted more than 65 years. He was a throwback, a colleague with great reverence for the sport, an encyclopedic knowledge of its history and a love for sharing the wisdom of what he knew with fellow employees and fans. He fell in love with racing as a boy attending Jamaica Racetrack and made his way in the sport galloping horses and working as an assistant to the trainers, Frank Wright and Lefty Nickerson. Joining NYRA in 1972, he worked as a valet with Hall of Fame riders Angel Cordero, Jr., Steve Cauthen, Jerry Bailey and Pat Day.

Brown was Day's valet when he won the 1989 Belmont Stakes on Easy Goer, which he once described as his favorite memory of the “Test of the Champion.” And Brown maintained close friendships with all those riders, especially Bailey, who when working with NBC at Belmont or Saratoga always made a beeline for the jockey room to see him.

Brown, a widower, was laid to rest Saturday at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Pinelawn, NY. Krauss Funeral Home handled the arrangements and has a tribute page on its website where anyone is welcome to leave a note that it will pass along to the family. In the coming days, NYRA will honor Brown with a moment of silence.

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Caesars Launching Racebook App in Partnership With NYRA

Caesars Sportsbook, in partnership with NYRA Bets, is launching a new horse racing account wagering app, Caesars Racebook, Caesars and the New York Racing Association announced Thursday. Available for download this spring, Caesars Racebook will utilize the NYRA Bets platform to provide bettors with pari-mutuel wagering services on premier horse racing content from more than 250 tracks around the world.

Caesars Racebook will offer wagering on marquee horse racing events in the United States, as well as on international tracks. The new app will also offer players all the additional benefits of NYRA Bets, including race replays, handicapping insights and more.

“Following our successful rollout of Caesars Sportsbook, we're delighted to launch Caesars Racebook in partnership with NYRA Bets,” said Dan Shapiro, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Caesars Digital. “NYRA conducts world-class horse racing and NYRA Bets has access to the best horse racing content from around the world, including from Caesars-operated racetracks. We're proud to support the horse racing industry while introducing the new Caesars Racebook app and Caesars Rewards to horse racing bettors.”

NYRA Bets, the fastest-growing national advance deposit wagering platform, is available in 30 states and continues to expand its reach and customer base throughout the country. “NYRA considers it a core responsibility to grow the sport by increasing consumer access to world-class horse racing both in New York and around the country,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “Pairing the world-renowned Caesars brand with the rapidly growing NYRA Bets wagering platform is an ideal way to launch Caesars Racebook, which will soon deliver all the NYRA Bets tools and advantages to the Caesars customer base.”

Horse racing and sports fans across the country will soon be able to download the Caesars Racebook app on iOS or Android. Similar to the Caesars Sportsbook app, every wager placed on Caesars Racebook will earn Caesars Rewards.

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