New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal in conjunction with the New Jersey Racing Commission announced that the State has suspended the horse racing licenses of seven New Jersey licensees. The suspensions come two days after the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed indictments against a total of 27 individuals in an alleged international conspiracy to dope racehorses.
Seven individuals received letters from New Jersey Racing Commission Executive Director Judith A. Nason notifying them of their immediate suspensions. The septet includes trainer Jason Servis, Nicholas Surick, Dr. Rebecca Linke, Scott Mangini, Scott Robinson, Christopher Marino and Rick Dane, Jr.
“Here in New Jersey, we are committed to ensuring the integrity of horse racing, and we have a robust system in place to ensure the fairness of races, the legitimacy of the outcomes and the safety of the participants,” said Attorney General Grewal. “However, there are sometimes unfortunate instances in which individuals choose to break the rules and try to game the system–in the racing industry generally and in New Jersey. Fortunately, these alleged unethical and deceitful practices did not go undetected, and the perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions.”
Added Nason: “PEDs cheat the wagering public and harm horses, and our highest priority is to keep them out of New Jersey's racing industry. The Attorney General and the Racing Commission have no tolerance for those who would seek to profit through the use of chemical advantage, especially when doing so might endanger equine welfare.”
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