Harness racing owner/trainer Adrienne Hall told Harness Racing Update this week that she has voluntarily relinquished her racing license in the state of New Jersey. Hall said she did so after she was unable to come to an agreement with the racing commission about a hearing date.
Hall testified on Jan. 28 in the federal trial of Dr. Seth Fishman (who was later found guilty), admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs on her horses, and subsequently had her membership in the United States Trotting Association revoked.
However, New Jersey's Meadowlands Racetrack owner Jeff Gural issued a press release on Feb. 3 stating that Hall's horses would continue to be allowed to race at his track. Though that is no longer possible now that Hall has turned in her license, Gural hailed Hall's whistleblower status as a positive for the industry as a whole.
“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.'”
The Department of Justice still plans to bring Hall in to testify during an additional trial, that of Fishman's former assistant, Lisa Gianelli. Gianelli's trial began prior to Fishman's in January, but was declared a mistrial after the defendant's lawyer tested positive for COVID-19.
A new trial date will be set for Gianelli, but Hall said the Department of Justice asked her not to testify before the racing commission prior to the completion of Gianelli's trial.
“With an additional case still open and possibly headed to trial I was asked to refrain from participating in any open hearings that could compromise my future testimony,” Hall told HRU. “This request was relayed to the state racing commissions. Unfortunately, the NJRC have been unwilling to postpone open hearings, despite my assurances I'm not racing or entering horses at the moment. Because of that, I have voluntarily relinquished my license to ensure the integrity of the open federal cases and the wishes of the Southern District of New York. It is a shame that certain state agencies, including those currently failing to abide by their own state requirements, would choose to undermine larger criminal cases.”
Read more at Harness Racing Update.
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