Mike Gulotta said Thursday the New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (OAL) has set dates to hear the appeal of What The Hill’s disqualification from the $1 million Hambletonian held Aug. 5, 2017 at the Meadowlands.

January 23, 24 and 25, 2018 have been set aside in Newark, NJ to hear the appeal of the race judges’ decision to disqualify What The Hill for interference in the stretch and place him from first to ninth (full story here). Second-place finisher Perfect Spirit was declared the winner.

Gulotta’s Deo Volente Farms owns What The Hill, along with the colt’s trainer, Ron Burke (Burke Racing Stable LLC), the Our Horse Cents Stable and J&T Silva Stables LLC. The group has long contested that judges erred in disqualifying What The Hill.

— Dave Briggs