STATEMENT FROM DENNIS DRAZIN CHAIRMAN AND CEO DARBY DEVELOPMENT, LLC OPERATOR OF MONMOUTH PARK RACETRACK

By John Heims —-

“In the wake of last Monday’s federal indictments in the horseracing industry, I wanted to take this opportunity to address the public, horsemen, media, employees and any other interested parties.

“First and foremost, Monmouth Park and Darby Development, as well as I personally, condemn the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) or any drugs which are illegal to be used in our industry. I remained silent last week in the aftermath of the news of the indictment because I wanted to give our regulators, the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC), and the Attorney General’s Office an opportunity to address the indictment, and, as expected, the NJRC suspended the licenses of seven of the indicted individuals who were licensed in New Jersey. Jorge Navarro did not have a 2020 license otherwise his license would have been suspended also according to the NJRC.

“The NJRC has diligently tested for drugs for many years and utilized respected reputable labs to do so. I am a former Chairman of the NJRC and can assure you that our regulators take their jobs seriously and endeavor to catch all cheaters.

“Regarding the indictments, if proven, they threaten the very integrity of our sport and must be seriously addressed. We can have no tolerance for those who cheat or try to take an illegal edge. I am calling upon our New Jersey legislature to enact a more comprehensive form of sweeping reforms than currently has been stalled in Washington, otherwise known as the Horseracing Integrity Act (HIA). I have already started the process of asking the State of New Jersey to pass legislation, which in addition to the worthwhile reforms contained in the HIA, will include more widespread reforms including, but not limited to: racetrack safety and integrity; racetrack surface safety inspections; increased examination of horses who intend to race or train at our racetracks; jockey health and safety; changes in the whip rule; post-racing aftercare for horses; uniformity in medication rules and penalties; sharing of all veterinary reports amongst interested parties; and, many other needed reforms.

“The only permitted medication use on race day will be Lasix. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has remained steadfast that the therapeutic use of Lasix is a medical necessity and the elimination of same would not be in the best interest of horses or their riders. Unless there is a legal use of medication adopted by the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium (RMTC), and with the exception of Lasix, we will have a zero tolerance policy. To be clear, there can be no use of race day medications except Lasix and even Lasix must be administered by a third party veterinarian, as is the current regulatory policy.

“Furthermore, I am also requesting that the legislature authorize the NJRC to develop a pharmacy located at the racetrack and that no drugs or medication can be in the possession of anyone, even veterinarians on the racetrack, unless it is obtained from the track-regulated pharmacy. I am also requesting the legislature to authorize the NJRC to contact the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) or any other drug-testing agency or laboratory of their recommendation to retain their services for the immediate control of our drug testing. The NJRC and New Jersey Attorney General’s Office will continue to regulate horseracing in New Jersey. These reforms will help restore public confidence in our sport.

“I should also reinforce that unfortunately two of Monmouth Park’s own trainers were indicted and although they also raced in New York, Florida, and elsewhere, we must accept the fact that we have to do a better job, even though these offenses are handled by our regulators. In that regard, additional discussions will be pursued with our regulators about the feasibility of enhancing camera security in our barns and purchasing additional equipment for horse diagnostics to detect preexisting injuries and other safety risks. Monmouth Park will be adding additional committees designed to screen horses which are entered and applying for stalls, as well as additional positions for a medical and safety director.

“I should also add that this indictment is particularly sad in that Jason Servis was my trainer. During my 45 years as an attorney, Chairman of the NJRC and racetrack operator, I have always advocated that cheating cannot be tolerated and I would never tolerate illegal conduct. My horses are being moved to Pat McBurney.”

Monday, March 16, 2020

Oceanport, N.J. – Monmouth Park Racetrack will close for simulcasting and sports wagering beginning at 8 pm on Monday, March 16, as the State of New Jersey and the rest of the country continue to take proactive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Wagering will continue as normal on 4NJBets.com as well as on-line sports betting apps.

“Here in New Jersey we are fortunate to have great leadership who are addressing the safety of our friends and neighbors as well as the entire state,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of the racetrack. “Governor Murphy has put plans in place to protect the citizens of New Jersey and we will remain in full compliance with those plans and reopen for sports betting and simulcasting when he deems same safe.”

In addition, based on the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control to limit public gatherings to less than 50 people, Monmouth Park will postpone its opening day originally scheduled for May 2, 2020 until May 23, 2020 (Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend), subject to state and regulatory approval.

“The new opening date will return us to our previous traditional opening date,” Drazin said. “The reality is, with a May 23 opening, we’ll only miss 5 racing days. We’d rather give plenty of notice now rather than continue on a wait and see approach. We firmly believe this slight delay will prove beneficial, across the board, in the long run.”

Furthermore, Monmouth will delay the opening of its stabling area until May 1, with training set to commence the following day. The stable area was scheduled to open on April 11 with training to start April 15.

“I’m sure our fans and horsemen fully understand our decision making in this very tough time,” Drazin said. “We appreciate their patience and look forward to reopening in the very near future and to an outstanding season of racing come Memorial Day weekend.”

For more information, visit www.monmouthpark.com.