HORSEPLOP.COM
General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: camfan12 on March 11, 2025, 02:16:16 PM
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Can somebody post the Rules that were broken?
https://ustrottingnews.com/seven-sanctioned-by-usta-board-after-srif-investigation/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9XJdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcRWKMKE-iMZfzSiPK6u9Tni151nHRv1EQXfXaEguCjrmj0t6yq0l3BteA_aem_I6HzndV--RiyCv2mhIcAuA (https://ustrottingnews.com/seven-sanctioned-by-usta-board-after-srif-investigation/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9XJdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcRWKMKE-iMZfzSiPK6u9Tni151nHRv1EQXfXaEguCjrmj0t6yq0l3BteA_aem_I6HzndV--RiyCv2mhIcAuA)
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This is interesting.
Gingras made the list ngc3 73cv.2
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thats quite the list
would be nice to know the details
diamond creek and its boys seemed to have some issues
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here's a link to the rules, just scroll through until you find the rule number you are looking for.
https://www.ustrotting.com/assets/pdf/USTARuleBook.pdf
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Rumor has it Nick Surick had a burner phone in jail still buying and selling horses. This guy is a disease.
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Benson just bought a few on ongait
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Rumor has it Nick Surick had a burner phone in jail still buying and selling horses. This guy is a disease.
Can this be confirmed ASAP!!
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Benson and Surick were partners on the mares Benson has been trying to sell on OnGait. DC sold them breeding’s and even kept one of the mares. YG sold a breeding to TDS. Yontz is Anvil and Lace farm she cooperated and that’s why her fine was rescinded.
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No Crawford farms mentioned? And why no suspension for Adam or Yannick?
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In plain language, what did Yannick do?
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Can this be confirmed ASAP!!
NO
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Says in one reply that he sold a breeding to TDS and he knew it was really for Surick.
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Benson and Surick were partners on the mares Benson has been trying to sell on OnGait. DC sold them breeding’s and even kept one of the mares. YG sold a breeding to TDS. Yontz is Anvil and Lace farm she cooperated and that’s why her fine was rescinded.
So they fined DC and it’s employees $40k for selling a breeding??
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If they knew it was for Surick it was deserved.
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At the end of the day, as far as I am concerned, the real question is..........other than revoke your membership, what does the USTA have the right to do?
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At this point you hope all the jurisdictions support it and honor them also. But on their own, usta has very little power.
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Some, many ? Tracks require USTA membership. Maybe they can refuse to register foals \ horses they buy ?
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Some, many ? Tracks require USTA membership. Maybe they can refuse to register foals \ horses they buy ?
No States require USTA membership. A few will deny a state license based on USTA rulings but there are a few don’t. Once any of those states give someone a license the USTA cannot do anything except charge a little extra for eligibility papers due to not being a member
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All this says to me is if you wanna pay a speeding ticket go ahead and fuck everyone. Adam sends the vet in the midnight blood draw and get 5000. Then does dealings with Nick Surick from prison on a burner phone and gets 28k. What about all the yearlings Nicks GF Nancy ran up in Lexington that were DC owned or consigned for Nick? How many people got fucked on that little scam?
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All this says to me is if you wanna pay a speeding ticket go ahead and fuck everyone. Adam sends the vet in the midnight blood draw and get 5000. Then does dealings with Nick Surick from prison on a burner phone and gets 28k. What about all the yearlings Nicks GF Nancy ran up in Lexington that were DC owned or consigned for Nick? How many people got fucked on that little scam?
Who is Nancy?
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And were exactly does this $98K go to?
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Surick already plotting his comeback for 2026. He’ll be released in a year and a half. If prison doesn’t stop him, then I don’t know what will.
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And were exactly does this $98K go to?
Excellent question Kirby, I'd love to know the answer to.
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Honest question. If USTA is merely a "record-keeping" agency. What legal authority do they have to impose fines? Wouldn't this be better handled by the racing commissions who have actual legal authority? Why hasn't the results of their "investigation been turned over to those agencies for actual enforcement?
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Nobody outside of racing gives a hoot. All the criminal activity was turned over to the states for prosecution in the FBI bust. How many were brought up on state charges.
Even that hump Cohen, who testified on the stand he fixed races at Yonkers with some of the accused.
Nobody with any political or police power gives two shits about harness racing.
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Nobody outside of racing gives a hoot. All the criminal activity was turned over to the states for prosecution in the FBI bust. How many were brought up on state charges.
Even that hump Cohen, who testified on the stand he fixed races at Yonkers with some of the accused.
Nobody with any political or police power gives two shits about harness racing.
Kind of crazy if you think about it, however Exporter is spot on 99.99% of people don’t care. Buggy racing is rife with carnival people and this is what you get.
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Who is Nancy?
Takter
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sacrifical offering, won't stop anything. No one will stop doing business with any of them. BIG SHOW
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the NYT article comes out blasting the industry and poof all of a sudden they want to make it look like they care and are doing something good by the industry. nice try though.
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i am not aware of the connection between surrick, takter and diamond creek
but would love to hear more
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Give them credit the USTA seems to be doing what they can......
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Give them credit the USTA seems to be doing what they can......
I see it as nothing more than posturing, grandstanding, and trying to be something they are not. I also think it's an effort to be invited to the eventual party when HISA takes over, and/or when actual regulatory agencies are forced to step up and do what they haven't done in the past.
That said, in NJ, to be an owner and race horses you DO NOT need to be a member of the USTA. As a driver, I don't know. As a breeder, I don't know, but being that the USTA can revoke your membership, my thinking is that-----perhaps-----they can refuse your foal registration(s), and your ability to "participate" and "operate" as a breeder. However, I don't know. All this is because people did business with Nick Surick. You reap what you sow.
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what do you get for being a member?
if you dont need to be a member. whats the point.
just a scam for money??/
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what do you get for being a member?
if you dont need to be a member. whats the point.
just a scam for money??/
absolutely zero reason to be a member.
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I see it as nothing more than posturing, grandstanding, and trying to be something they are not. I also think it's an effort to be invited to the eventual party when HISA takes over, and/or when actual regulatory agencies are forced to step up and do what they haven't done in the past.
That said, in NJ, to be an owner and race horses you DO NOT need to be a member of the USTA. As a driver, I don't know. As a breeder, I don't know, but being that the USTA can revoke your membership, my thinking is that-----perhaps-----they can refuse your foal registration(s), and your ability to "participate" and "operate" as a breeder. However, I don't know. All this is because people did business with Nick Surick. You reap what you sow.
Your are greatly misinformed on ownership,
As far as driver trainer , owner in NJ if NJRC say you don’t have to be a USTA member then when a non member claims a horse or has one claimed they will not transfer that horse until all are members, & if you owe one of these sanction fines then you would have to pay it.
This move is parallel to say living in an apartment complex that has assigned parking and you park in the wrong spot
You don’t a fine from the complex. If you don’t pay it then when you move out comes off your security deposit. Own a home with HOA and they put a lean on your house.
So DC will not be able to register any foals stallions with USTA.
What supposed to happen is every state racing commission needs to have a just cause hearing , bring them in and charge all of them.
The interesting thing about the USTA is they never did any sanction on the wire taps of Surrick talking with the trainer he sent the horse too who assured him he would and had given her EPO or who was the trainer at PCD that Guido said drop dead on the track.
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Your are greatly misinformed on ownership,
As far as driver trainer , owner in NJ if NJRC say you don’t have to be a USTA member then when a non member claims a horse or has one claimed they will not transfer that horse until all are members, & if you owe one of these sanction fines then you would have to pay it.
This move is parallel to say living in an apartment complex that has assigned parking and you park in the wrong spot
You don’t a fine from the complex. If you don’t pay it then when you move out comes off your security deposit. Own a home with HOA and they put a lean on your house.
So DC will not be able to register any foals stallions with USTA.
What supposed to happen is every state racing commission needs to have a just cause hearing , bring them in and charge all of them.
The interesting thing about the USTA is they never did any sanction on the wire taps of Surrick talking with the trainer he sent the horse too who assured him he would and had given her EPO or who was the trainer at PCD that Guido said drop dead on the track.
To own and race a horse in NJ, you do not have to be a member of the USTA. Unless the NJRC change the rule in the past year. The NJRC license asks if you are a member of the USTA. There's two boxes. One for yes, the other for no. I will contact the NJRC and confirm the rule is still the same, as this was the rule last year when I renewed my license.
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No States require USTA membership. A few will deny a state license based on USTA rulings but there are a few don’t. Once any of those states give someone a license the USTA cannot do anything except charge a little extra for eligibility papers due to not being a member
If you want to in a County Fair, they are under the jurisdiction of the USTA.
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If you want to in a County Fair, they are under the jurisdiction of the USTA.
County fairs use the USTA rules as a guideline. You don’t have to be a member. Nor do you need a state license unless it is parimutuel. I had a situation 25 years ago when Jim Music destroyed my 3 at county fairs in Illinois. The USTA told me sorry but we only recommended the rules
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And Jim was suspended at the time by the IRB
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County fairs use the USTA rules as a guideline. You don’t have to be a member. Nor do you need a state license unless it is parimutuel. I had a situation 25 years ago when Jim Music destroyed my 3 at county fairs in Illinois. The USTA told me sorry but we only recommended the rules
They wouldn't let me drive at the fair. You have to have a license. Qual or Fair license. Rules are made by the USTA, and the fairs are run by the USTA, in NY anyways!
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If you want to in a County Fair, they are under the jurisdiction of the USTA.
Or be a racing official..
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To own and race a horse in NJ, you do not have to be a member of the USTA. Unless the NJRC change the rule in the past year. The NJRC license asks if you are a member of the USTA. There's two boxes. One for yes, the other for no. I will contact the NJRC and confirm the rule is still the same, as this was the rule last year when I renewed my license.
You can’t register it with the USTA . You can be a member let it expire and still race. You cannot be a non member and claim or buy a horse and register it with USTA.
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If you have any issue regarding racing and call the USTA, you will get a Company response of "We are just a record keeping organization". However, if an issue affects the hierarchy's pocketbook which in most cases is the breeding business, you will see that "record keeping organization" morph into a protesting machine. Look at how they are fighting HISA. HISA has nothing to do with the USTA's supposed business model and yet they are spending millions to fight it. WHY? Simply, the USTA doesn't want to weed out the gassers in racing. Those gassers make horses break records and win prestigious races. The USTA is run by breeders. They need to keep the breeding carousel moving. It's a simple recipe making them millions and they don't want it disrupted. Look at sales results. The big sales are horses bred by the same few farms, bought by the same few buyers, trained by the same few trainers and after a successful racing campaign, horse is syndicated for millions, stands at one of the few "accepted" farms and it is rinse and repeat time. "Business" as usual for Williams and his minions.
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Sounds like a spot-on analogy to me. tmbz1
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If you have any issue regarding racing and call the USTA, you will get a Company response of "We are just a record keeping organization". However, if an issue affects the hierarchy's pocketbook which in most cases is the breeding business, you will see that "record keeping organization" morph into a protesting machine. Look at how they are fighting HISA. HISA has nothing to do with the USTA's supposed business model and yet they are spending millions to fight it. WHY? Simply, the USTA doesn't want to weed out the gassers in racing. Those gassers make horses break records and win prestigious races. The USTA is run by breeders. They need to keep the breeding carousel moving. It's a simple recipe making them millions and they don't want it disrupted. Look at sales results. The big sales are horses bred by the same few farms, bought by the same few buyers, trained by the same few trainers and after a successful racing campaign, horse is syndicated for millions, stands at one of the few "accepted" farms and it is rinse and repeat time. "Business" as usual for Williams and his minions.
Double spot on
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Absolute , Mike Campbell. If this industry is going to be saved, it will be done by the breeders, just like The Red mile. They have the deepest pockets and the most skin in the game.
I wonder what 300 acres if Blue Chip land is worth? How about 2,400 acres in Southern Pa. ?
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Tom's bought Blue Chip from the Kimmelman family about 25 years ago. Actually, I think farm-----which is only about 50 or so miles outside of NYC-----is more than twice that size. Last time I was there they were running about 700 acres, and I would think it might be worth a lot of money with the proximity to NYC. The operation is not as massive as one might think. I don't know squat about real estate up there. However, a few years ago Tom Grossman came up with a proposal to convert most of the farm into some sort of destination resort type of place. He was partnering with developer (and filmmaker) David Alexanian. I think Tom was going to keep about 200 acres as a much smaller scaled down version of Blue Chip and the other 500 or so acres was going to be a destination resort type place with homes, restaurants, a theatre, spa, and perhaps a golf course, etc., and I think a dairy farm or something. That might have had to do with zoning or something. I don't remember what I read.
I asked Tom about it at Harrisburg after I read this and his answer was an interesting twist on "highest and best use"-----so no shock there, LOL.
He said his idea was better than what others would do and simply sell it to a developer and build the maximum amount of homes as possible.
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Absolute , Mike Campbell. If this industry is going to be saved, it will be done by the breeders, just like The Red mile. They have the deepest pockets and the most skin in the game.
I wonder what 300 acres if Blue Chip land is worth? How about 2,400 acres in Southern Pa. ?
They only have deep pockets as a result of the government handouts. All that does is continue the current trajectory which is less and less customers supporting the sport. Over time the handouts are going to go down or be eliminated. Then nobody will have deep pockets or even pocket change.
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Why do they list some rule that covers 100 thousand things. Give us specifics .
Its all smoke and mirrors. DC pays the usta tons of money, they and a few other big breeding operations practically run the usta.
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This is interesting.
Gingras made the list ngc3 73cv.2
Good
I will never forgive him for Father Patrick.
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They only have deep pockets as a result of the government handouts. All that does is continue the current trajectory which is less and less customers supporting the sport. Over time the handouts are going to go down or be eliminated. Then nobody will have deep pockets or even pocket change.
Why do you bother wasting your time posting here if you have no interest in harness racing and want it to die? Bad news for you is it will be around a lot longer than you
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Why do you bother wasting your time posting here if you have no interest in harness racing and want it to die? Bad news for you is it will be around a lot longer than you
I am a huge fan of harness racing. That is why I want the handouts to end. I have watched the industry turn its back on the fans and watched the fans leave. I went to the Sun Stakes at Pocono the last couple of years. Some of the best standardbreds in the world are racing and there were a handful of people watching. If the handouts were eliminate, the industry would have to offer a product people want to support.
The reality is, as soon as a state needs money for something the voters actually care about, they are going to take the handouts. Harness racing is playing chicken with the government and they will lose.
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Double spot on
"Its a big club-and you and I are not in the big club!"-G. Carlin
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Good
I will never forgive him for Father Patrick.
I thought Yannick was a straight up guy and now he’s doing deals with sandals. What a piece of shit.
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Interesting article in HRU about this. Apparently the USTA has found they have more power than they thought. Hopefully now they get working on the beard problem
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fellas, just an fyi
if you pay attention there has been a quite a few very large owners come into the sport recently
andrew harris has big bill
alagna has had a couple join in the last few years
a number of people have started new breeding farms in kentucky and spent big $ on fillies and mares
stop complaining and buy a few and get in the game , you never know !!
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While I am all for punishing criminals----to the maximum----and ridding the sport/industry of them, I am not sure the USTA has authority and purview over "business dealings" so to speak. Specifically, as Williams calls it, “The problem was concealing Surick, not doing business with him,” and “The purpose of concealment was to either make a deal happen that wouldn’t have happened or get a better price than would’ve been obtained had Surick’s involvement been known.”
Williams states these people "violated USTA rules and/or bylaws"----and while that may be true, I question, what can the USTA do, other than revoke membership. In addition, if this violated USTA Bylaw(s) (8.01), it says the disciplinary actions may not be appealed. I don't know if that's legal, other than one could not appeal the membership revocation. The fine? That may be unconstitutional.
I guess the USTA's position is based upon what Carson Morris' position is. Bowden paid the fines. Interesting in that the article stated, and Morris was quoted as saying, "Not all were alleged to have committed a violation, however, because contact with Mr. Surick alone did not in-and-of-itself violate the Rules. Rather, the Board found fault because the member(s) knew of the nature of Mr. Surick’s involvement, with the added fact that his involvement was concealed from others as part of the underlying business arrangement(s). This concealment would facilitate Mr. Surick and his collaborators’ ability to engage in the standardbred economy without others knowing he had a stake in the registered standardbreds in question. Not all the investigations involved this fact pattern, but the activity the [USTA] board concluded warranted sanctions involved the member(s) having a greater degree of knowledge and culpability.”"
I like Williams saying this investigation is the first, but not the last. It's about time! Where have you been and what have you been doing for, I don't know, say, the last 30 years or so. He goes on to say the USTA "will enhance protection of USTA data integrity, including registration and transfer of horses. It will also encourage transparency and fair dealing among the membership. USTA staff handled these matters with the utmost competence. Our board made its determinations fairly and resolutely.” Encourage transparency? Encourage? The article also has a quote on "bearding"----but I guess that hasn't happened up until now, LOL.
I also find it interesting that Morris said, "...it’s important to note that the USTA, at last weekend’s annual meeting, bolstered its enforcement and investigative powers." Really? Unilaterally?
I like what they are trying to do, but I question whether they have the authority to do it. Morris went on to say, “From my experience with the USTA, I don’t believe the association and its members failed to take integrity seriously in the past. To the extent the USTA was not enforcing its rules in the same manner, that was primarily because of a lack of understanding and appreciation of the powers it had to investigate and enforce violations under its rules and bylaws, particularly in relation to the powers of state racing commissions." They had a lack of understanding and appreciation of the powers they have? Wow. They finally saw and founds ways the USTA could investigate and enforce violations----but they didn't realize this before? "That allowed us to put the pieces together and come up with what I think is a more effective enforcement model for the USTA." Really?
While this may be refreshing, and long overdue, it sounds like incompetence and neglect to me. Again, I question whether the USTA has the authority, and even if they did, IMHO, they should not be the organization to do it.
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Will Gural reprimand Gingras in any way?
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Appears to be dirty games by dirty players. Most at the top,level.
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nice to see some action being taken by the usta
is it perfect, of course not
are the fines going to make a difference to those that got fined, no , not at all
but they should be embarrassed by this
hopefully more to come and stronger fines and suspensions might start to make a dent in some of this nefarious activity
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I wonder why Eric Cherry and Ongait didn't get fined, sanctioned, etc.
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Why would the USTA sanction and or fine Mr. Cherry?
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What are the odds that DC and USTA didn’t negotiate ??
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Looks to me like DC just paid up so more details didn’t get out
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Looks to me like DC just paid up so more details didn’t get out
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
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Can somebody post the Rules that were broken?
https://ustrottingnews.com/seven-sanctioned-by-usta-board-after-srif-investigation/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9XJdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcRWKMKE-iMZfzSiPK6u9Tni151nHRv1EQXfXaEguCjrmj0t6yq0l3BteA_aem_I6HzndV--RiyCv2mhIcAuA (https://ustrottingnews.com/seven-sanctioned-by-usta-board-after-srif-investigation/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9XJdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcRWKMKE-iMZfzSiPK6u9Tni151nHRv1EQXfXaEguCjrmj0t6yq0l3BteA_aem_I6HzndV--RiyCv2mhIcAuA)
Thats all they gave Bowden? the Pillar of the community he holds himself out to be? Really? Say it aint so.
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Thats all they gave Bowden? the Pillar of the community he holds himself out to be? Really? Say it aint so.
Who was the last guy they fined $40k. And who did they fine more?
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Seems to have the thought process of , do what you want and if they catch me its only money. Rich boy syndrome….
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dont have the answer but im sure youll tell us.
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dont have the answer but im sure youll tell us.
Answer is nobody. So be grateful they finally figured out they could actually do something
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And even that doesnt matter in many venues. so whats the point?
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So the connection of the ‘sanctioned’.
Nick Surick
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Looks to me like DC just paid up so more details didn’t get out
They are not good for the future of harness racing.