Gary Contessa

Gary Contessa, who stepped away from training in March to try his hand at being a bloodstock agent and a jockey agent, is set to return Apr. 1. He has accepted a job as the private trainer for Nick Beaver's Bell Gable Stable and will be based at Delaware Park. "Nick hired me about four months ago to organize his stable," Contessa said. "He had horses everywhere, with Jamie Ness, Anthony Farrior, Mike Trombetta, and they were scattered all over the place. He told me he wanted to be more...

Longtime New York trainer Gary Contessa has announced he is ending his training career after 35 years. In a story originally reported by the Paulick Report, he cited the costs incurred by the Department of Labor investigation and his wife's ongoing illness as his reasons for hanging up his hat. Contessa is one of many trainers in New York to be investigated by the DOL over record-keeping and wages issues with backstretch employees. Several conditioners have already been hit with hefty fines by both the state and federal DOL. This...

Breeder and vet Dr. Jerry Bilinski and trainer Gary Contessa, along with their wives Darlene Bilinski and Jennifer Contessa, have founded the I Think I Love You Animal Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit formed to serve the welfare of animals in memory of David Cassidy. The David Cassidy Memorial Legacy Group provided some minor assistance with this project. The goals is to help animals in need everywhere through the support of Cassidy's friends and fans. Cassidy was a lifelong animal lover and often donated to animal welfare groups, including those that...

Sixteen prominent Thoroughbred trainers have expressed their support for the Horseracing Integrity Act via an open letter "to the Thoroughbred Community" sent out Friday. The trainers who signed on are: Tom Albertrani, Christophe Clement, Ben Colebrook, Gary Contessa, Arnaud Delacour, Janet Elliott, Mark Hennig, Kiaran McLaughlin, Shug McGaughey, Ken McPeek, Tom Morley, Graham Motion, Todd Pletcher, John Sadler, George Weaver and Nick Zito. The letter reads: "Horse racing is at a pivotal moment in its long history in the United States. The past six months presented a string of events...