Delaware Regulator Upholds Vitali's One-Year Suspension

The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission upheld its stewards' decision to suspend trainer Marcus Vitali for one year and fine him $2,500 for interfering with and impeding an investigation. 

DTRC executive director John Wayne said the commission unanimously voted to uphold the sanctions issued by the stewards July 22. The fine is the maximum allowed under DTRC rules.

"There will be a forthcoming decision and order on Mr. Vitali that will be signed at the Oct. 16, 2019, meeting," Wayne said in an email. "However, Mr. Vitali's suspension is still in force and he is ineligible to participate in racing since his request for a stay was denied initially."

Frank Vespe of The Racing Biz reported that Vitali's attorney, Alan Pincus, has not decided whether they will appeal the decision through the state court system, which would be the next available option for appeal.

As reported by The Racing Biz in July, Wayne said a DTRC investigator entered the dorm room of one of Vitali's employees on an unrelated matter when Vitali pushed his way through security, withdrew a package that was bubble-wrapped, and ran off. Security gave chase to no avail, and no one has located the package, which Vitali claimed to have thrown in the trash.

The stewards imposed the fine and suspension, and Wayne disallowed a request for a stay of the suspension pending Vitali's appeal to the full commission. The commission upheld the stewards' sanctions Sept. 4.

As reported by The Racing Biz, in 2016 Vitali was one of a number of trainers to incur a spate of overages in Florida when that state modified its drug-testing regime, a change many trainers contended was poorly communicated. He surrendered his license and decamped to Maryland until the story of what he had done caught up to him.

Later, according to the Pennsylvania Racing Commission website, he was ejected from both Parx Racing and Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.

Best known as the former trainer of grade 1 winner Lochte, Vitali's horses have won 888 races from 5,635 starts and have earned more than $14.6 million in a career that started in 1989. With the suspension being issued in July in Delaware, and no stay granted, he has not started a horse since July 21.