RE: The Meadowlands was correct in handling of race investigation

Jeff [Gural] and Jason [Settlemoir] both get “ataboys” as the implementation of the Big M’s right of exclusion and subsequent suspension pending their investigation once again protects punters as well as their business interest.

My question is what action did the judges take as this race crossed the wire? The trio certainly must have been aware of the poor performance of the favorite. They have the advantage of viewing the prices before they make it official. The questionable payoffs should not be the sole reason to investigate a race but should serve as an additional incentive to investigate.

In addition to reviewing the replay there are additional steps the judges can take before posting the official. Was the mutuel manager called to request a cursory review of possible suspicious wagers? Did the presiding judge request a printout? You might think with wagers placed at off track sites it would be difficult to acquire this data in a timely fashion. It can be available before the evening’s races are complete. After the race review and official were the drivers involved called inquiring about their horses’ performance? Was the favorite checked by the state vet post-race and was blood and urine samples acquired from the beaten favorite?

Jason’s action may or may not have precluded any investigation initiated by the judges but certainly was effective in protecting the wagering public.

Art Gray / West Seneca, NY