New Jersey Racing Commission

Amber Cobb, the Thoroughbred owner and trainer who in 2021 had her Delaware licensure revoked through 2022 for "still participating in horse racing while under suspension" for "improper or inhumane treatment" of a horse, had her New Jersey licensure suspended and was fined $11,000 in a June 7, 2023, ruling issued by the racing commission in that state. It was unclear at deadline for this story if Cobb, 35, planned an appeal. The New Jersey ruling cited violations related to Cobb's training base at Westampton Farms in Westampton, New Jersey,...

Monmouth Park jockeys will once again be allowed to use their whips to encourage their mounts when the meet kicks off May 7. The change was made during a special hearing held Friday by the New Jersey Racing Commission, which voted to rescind rules that were put in place prior to the 2021 Monmouth meeting that allowed whipping only in cases where it was needed for safety reasons. New Jersey was the only state in the country where whipping was banned. Monmouth's whipping rules were set to change July 1,...

With new regulations regarding whipping set to go into effect throughout the country on July 1 when the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) takes effect, management at Monmouth Park has asked the New Jersey Racing Commission to adopt the more lenient HISA rules when the meet opens May 7. The story was first reported by the Asbury Park Press. At the start of the 2021 meet controversial rules were put in place by the New Jersey Racing Commission that banned the practice of whipping horses to encourage them...

Trainer Cody Axmaker has been handed two consecutive one-year suspensions and fined $5,000 by the New Jersey Racing Commission after a horse he trained named Wishful (Storm Wolf) died on or about May 9 at Monmouth Park due to an apparent overdose of Clenbuterol. He was suspended one year for possessing a prohibited substance in Clenbuterol and a second year for failing "in his duty as trainer to protect and guard the horse Wishful against the administration of the prohibited substance." The suspension is set to begin May 7, 2022...

Monmouth Park has added two live racing dates on Sundays in September to extend the 2022 meet to 62 days following approval from the New Jersey Racing Commission. Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 - the new closing day -- are the added live dates, with stakes races highlighting both cards. The $85,000 Pinot Grigio S. will headline the Sept. 11 card, with the $85,000 Joey P. S. set for Sept. 18. Both are for New Jersey-breds at five furlongs on the turf. Monmouth Park's 77th season gets underway on Saturday,...

Embattled trainer Wayne Potts was hit with a 45-day suspension Sunday by the New York Gaming Commission, which charged that a drug found in his tackroom was not approved by the FDA for use in Thoroughbred horses. The suspension is set to begin Apr. 10. Potts has waived his right to an appeal. The drug was found Feb. 17. The New York regulators decided to divide up Potts's 45 day-suspension so that it correlates with still another suspension he is facing, one from the New Jersey Racing Commission. In January,...

The New Jersey Racing Commission voted 6-0 Wednesday not to act as a middleman on behalf of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) by collecting fees from state licensees that will eventually fund the yet-to-get started authority's drug-testing and safety initiatives. The decision was hardly a surprise, and it yielded zero public discussion among commissioners prior to the perfunctory vote. It had seemed unlikely that the NJRC would be the first regulator in the nation to willingly craft a complex set of rules and set up a payment-collecting process...

It was back in October of 2018 that a small-time harness racing owner and trainer named Adrienne Hall reached out to veterinarian Dr. Seth Fishman. She was new to the Florida harness circuit and says she simply was looking for a vet to help her with her horses. What she did not know at the time was that she had just made one of the worst mistakes of her life. Hall's relationship with Fishman evolved and became complicated. It led to Hall, 42, testifying earlier this year in court against...

On Aug. 6, 2021, conditioner Wayne Potts allegedly told his assistant, Bonnie Lucas, not to permit one of his trainees to be vanned off the track after a race at Monmouth Park despite an order to do so from the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) veterinarian. Both Potts and Lucas—who in addition to being an assistant trainer, was also the owner of Chispita, the filly in question—were fined $1,000 and suspended 30 days for their actions in a September ruling. On Jan. 21, 2022, the NJRC issued a separate ruling...

Thoroughbred racing in New Jersey will get a nine-date boost in 2022. The New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) on Wednesday unanimously approved 60 dates at Monmouth Park (May 7-Sept. 17) and 11 dates of turf-only racing at the Meadowlands (Sept. 23-Oct. 29). That total of 71 overall dates represents an uptick of seven programs at Monmouth and two at the Meadowlands compared to what had been granted for '21. The NJRC also unanimously approved carrying over into '22 a $21,457 Jackpot Pick 6 pool that was scheduled to be paid...

Total all-sources handle at the Monmouth Park meet, which wrapped up Sunday, Sept. 26, showed an increase, hardly a surprise since this year's season included 11 more cards than the 2020 meet, which was shortened due to COVID-19 issues. Monmouth didn't fare nearly as well in the more relevant category of daily average handle. During this year's 55-day meet, average daily handle was $3,154,748, a decline of 17.13% over 2020 figures, when the average handle was $3,807,082. The 2020 Monmouth meet consisted of 44 cards. The decline begs the question:...

The Week In Review, by Bill Finley The Breeders' Cup announced Saturday that it had begun a review process to determine whether or not trainer Bob Baffert will be allowed to compete in this year's championship event. The outcome of that review is pending. "The Breeders' Cup Board has commenced a review process as to whether Bob Baffert will be permitted to participate in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships," read a statement from the Breeders' Cup. "The process will include an opportunity for Mr. Baffert to present his case...