NM Bills to Strengthen Tracks Authority
Feb 4, 2014 8:52:31 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Feb 4, 2014 8:52:31 GMT -5
Good or bad? Because of track politics, I'm not sure I agree with preventing lawsuits.
More get-tough measures to stop horse racing cheats in NM
By Rob Nikolewski
NM Watchdog
SANTA FE – In another effort to clean up New Mexico‘s reputation in horse racing, four bills have been introduced in the current 30-day legislative session.
“If you’re a bad guy and you’re doping your horses, the tracks should be allowed to keep you off the grounds,” said state Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, who has introduced two bills in the Senate that mirror two bills in the House of Representatives introduced by Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell, R-Roswell.
“I’m tired of having the public duped over this,” Ezzell told New Mexico Watchdog of bills aiming to get tough on trainers who drug their racehorses at the state’s five licensed race tracks. “I’m tired of them risking the lives of our horses, which are athletes, and our jockeys, which are athletes also … Everyone should play by the rules.”
Ezzell says the bills have the support of Gov. Susana Martinez, who has placed them “on the call” for the legislative session.
New Mexico’s horse racing industry has been rocked by a number of scandals, including a 2012 New York Times investigation that called the state the worst in the nation for horseracing deaths.
The New Mexico Racing Commission has introduced a series of reform measures in the past two years to crack down on trainers suspected of drugging their horses, including instituting the use of more frequent random drug tests and increasing the suspensions and fines against alleged violators.
“We’re concentrating on testing and we’re getting more hits,” said Vince Mares, the commission’s executive director. “Fines are increasing significantly. That’s a good sign.”
Papen and Ezzell have each introduced bills that would allow New Mexico racetracks to eject anyone whose license has been suspended or revoked for administering performance-enhancing drugs.
It would also protect race tracks from civil lawsuits from the people they eject.
Currently, trainer Arnoldo Carrillo has filed a lawsuit against the Racing Commission as well as four tracks that have barred him from running his horses — Sunland Park, Zia Park, Ruidoso Downs and Sunray Park.
The suit says Carrillo has been treated unfairly because it says he’s never had a horse test positive for banned substances nor faced “significant disciplinary action” from any track.
Carrillo’s attorney, Christopher Graeser of Santa Fe, told New Mexico Watchdog on Monday that Carrillo has “a completely clean record” and that, short of a conviction, such bans “could put people like my client out of business.”
Papen maintains her bill will help clean up the sport.
“This statute would give the race tracks more teeth,” she said.
I’m not going to say which track it is, but a horse was running mediocre in all the races it had been entered in,” Ezzell said, “and all of a sudden, it breaks out and beats everyone by over three seconds. (It) crosses the finish line and drops dead. Think there might be a problem? Yeah.”
Ezzell and Papen have also introduced a pair of bills that would have a hearing officer to act on the commission’s behalf to make findings and hear appeals regarding doping allegations.
“We do not want these things to drag out in the courts,” Ezzell said. “We have one case in the courts that’s pending for over two years.”
Mares said the Racing Commission is looking into the details of the hearing officers bills before making up its mind to support them.
More get-tough measures to stop horse racing cheats in NM
By Rob Nikolewski
NM Watchdog
SANTA FE – In another effort to clean up New Mexico‘s reputation in horse racing, four bills have been introduced in the current 30-day legislative session.
“If you’re a bad guy and you’re doping your horses, the tracks should be allowed to keep you off the grounds,” said state Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, who has introduced two bills in the Senate that mirror two bills in the House of Representatives introduced by Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell, R-Roswell.
“I’m tired of having the public duped over this,” Ezzell told New Mexico Watchdog of bills aiming to get tough on trainers who drug their racehorses at the state’s five licensed race tracks. “I’m tired of them risking the lives of our horses, which are athletes, and our jockeys, which are athletes also … Everyone should play by the rules.”
Ezzell says the bills have the support of Gov. Susana Martinez, who has placed them “on the call” for the legislative session.
New Mexico’s horse racing industry has been rocked by a number of scandals, including a 2012 New York Times investigation that called the state the worst in the nation for horseracing deaths.
The New Mexico Racing Commission has introduced a series of reform measures in the past two years to crack down on trainers suspected of drugging their horses, including instituting the use of more frequent random drug tests and increasing the suspensions and fines against alleged violators.
“We’re concentrating on testing and we’re getting more hits,” said Vince Mares, the commission’s executive director. “Fines are increasing significantly. That’s a good sign.”
Papen and Ezzell have each introduced bills that would allow New Mexico racetracks to eject anyone whose license has been suspended or revoked for administering performance-enhancing drugs.
It would also protect race tracks from civil lawsuits from the people they eject.
Currently, trainer Arnoldo Carrillo has filed a lawsuit against the Racing Commission as well as four tracks that have barred him from running his horses — Sunland Park, Zia Park, Ruidoso Downs and Sunray Park.
The suit says Carrillo has been treated unfairly because it says he’s never had a horse test positive for banned substances nor faced “significant disciplinary action” from any track.
Carrillo’s attorney, Christopher Graeser of Santa Fe, told New Mexico Watchdog on Monday that Carrillo has “a completely clean record” and that, short of a conviction, such bans “could put people like my client out of business.”
Papen maintains her bill will help clean up the sport.
“This statute would give the race tracks more teeth,” she said.
I’m not going to say which track it is, but a horse was running mediocre in all the races it had been entered in,” Ezzell said, “and all of a sudden, it breaks out and beats everyone by over three seconds. (It) crosses the finish line and drops dead. Think there might be a problem? Yeah.”
Ezzell and Papen have also introduced a pair of bills that would have a hearing officer to act on the commission’s behalf to make findings and hear appeals regarding doping allegations.
“We do not want these things to drag out in the courts,” Ezzell said. “We have one case in the courts that’s pending for over two years.”
Mares said the Racing Commission is looking into the details of the hearing officers bills before making up its mind to support them.