Jeff Gural is a tower in Standardbred racing. As the owner of three racetracks – The Meadowlands in New Jersey Vernon Downs and Tioga Downs, both located in New York State, he has become a driving force in keeping trainers suspected of using illegal performance-enhancing drugs and those trying to buy or sell horses to slaughter out of his three racetracks.
Gural will receive the Ellen and Herbert Moelis Equine Saviour Award for his commitment to the humane fate and aftercare of horses bred for racing, their safety during their racing careers and toward maintaining integrity and honesty in racing.
The world-renowned equine surgeon, Dr. Patricia Hogan, who was honoured by Equine Advocates at this event in 2008, had this to say about her friend, Jeff Gural.
"Horse racing faces many modern challenges today, not the least of which is a shaken public confidence in the integrity of the competition itself, but also in the racing community's ability to handle the whole host of welfare issues surrounding the care (and aftercare) of our magnificent horses. Jeff Gural has certainly been a trailblazer in implementing innovative ideas that have chipped away at these problems and started some
very important conversations in racing that no one wanted to have, but were sorely needed. Oftentimes, he is doing these things alone - at great personal and financial cost. He richly deserves this recognition and more from our industry."
The gala will be held on Thursday, August 3rd at the historic Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs.
(With files from Equine Advocates)