Ousted thoroughbred owner Michael Gill and trainer Anthony Adamo are in the midst of having their civil rights lawsuit heard in court. On Monday, April 23, a former acting executive secretary with the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission, Michael Dillon, testified that an investigation did not take place before the PHRC banned the pair from racing horses at Penn National Race Course in 2010
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According to an article by The Patriot-News, Dillion testified in front of U.S. Middle District Senior Judge Sylvia H. Rambo that he invoked an "organizational rule" of the PHRC which allowed him to take any action necessary to bring orderly racing back to the track.
At the time, jockeys at the raceway were vowing a boycott of Gill-owned and Adamo-trained horses. The riders cited fears for their safety after Gill/Adamo entrants were involved in multiple on-track accidents. The riders also alleged that the horses in question were not sound and were racing with illegal, performance-enhancing substances in their systems.
Dillion testified that “there was no investigation” by the PHRC in regard to the allegations, and that Gill and Adamo were not given chance to address the situation with the commission prior to the ruling. He also stated that there was pressure from Penn National Race Course's operator, Penn National Gaming, to quell the problem.
“All hell was breaking loose," the report quoted Dillion as saying during Monday's proceedings." ...We weren’t looking for proof. We were looking to ensure that peace and order was maintained at Penn National Race Course.”
Dillion was also quoted as saying, “I have never indicated that there was any proof of wrongdoing by Mr. Gill or Mr. Adamo.”
(With files from The Patriot-News)
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