It has been reported that New Jersey Racing Commission Executive Director Frank Zanzuccki has informed the Meadowlands Racetrack that trainer Chris Oakes’ Breeders Crown horses cannot be scratched by the commission.
On October 25, Meadowlands Racetrack Chairman Jeff Gural stated that Oakes failed to meet the terms of a previously agreed-upon surveillance and out-of-competition testing program. Oakes’ Breeders Crown horses in question are Luck Be Withyou and Split The House. To read Gural’s quotes regarding the situation, and to view his request to get the horses scratched, click here.
According to a piece by harnessracing.com, Zanzuccki responded to Gural’s request later in the day via email and conveyed that the "Commission does not have the legal authority to scratch a horse(s) already entered based on conditions imposed solely on one trainer by a racetrack operator. Therefore, your request to have these horses scratched must be denied."
(With files from harnessracing.com)