Monmouth Bars Owner for Breaking COVID-19 Safety Rules

Cameron Beatty, a co-owner in multiple graded stakes winner Horologist, has been denied access to Monmouth Park for the rest of its meet after breaking track rules by leading the mare into the winner's circle after she won the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) there July 18.

Monmouth Park is operating amid COVID-19 with safety measures in place that prohibit owners from visiting the paddock, backstretch, or winner's circle. Access to those areas is restricted to trainers, their assistants, grooms, and other equine caretakers.

Beatty's ejection for the meet, which continues through Sept. 27, was issued by the track, not by the New Jersey Racing Commission, and does not apply to his horses in training, according to Monmouth Park CEO and chairman Dennis Drazin. Beatty said he has two horses in training at Monmouth and a few based elsewhere around the country, including Horologist, who is stabled at Saratoga Race Course with trainer Bill Mott and was vanned to Monmouth to race in the Molly Pitcher.

Horologist, a 4-year-old filly by Gemologist  with earnings of $564,439, is owned by Beatty's There's A Chance Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, and Abbondanza Racing.

Beatty said he was notified July 24 of Monmouth's ban by director of racing and racing secretary John Heims after being formally contacted by the track with a certified letter earlier in the week. Later on Friday, he went on social media to express his displeasure, writing on Facebook that the punishment "should fit the crime."

"I put tens of thousands of dollars per month into my horses, and spend thousands of hours per year with the horses that keep Monmouth Park in business," he wrote. "You can let a jockey come from another state and ride but you suspend an owner for an entire (meet) for being the only person in the winner's circle with his horse after the biggest win of her career, not to mention the only person who had any connection with her at the track that day."

Drazin said numerous options were considered before it was decided to bar Beatty from track grounds. By not turning the matter over to the NJRC, Drazin said any penalty on Beatty is restricted just to Monmouth Park and is not applicable in other jurisdictions.

The ban will not prevent Beatty from racing Horologist or any of his other horses at Monmouth Park or any other track.

"We did what we think is right, and there isn't one person I've spoken to who knows our protocols and says we did the wrong thing," Drazin said. "Sometimes you have to set an example. If we didn't do anything, why wouldn't someone else do it, and if we just fined him, say $500, why wouldn't an owner pay $500 to get a photo with his horse in the winner's circle?

"We could have sanctioned the other owners or the trainer, but we felt that was not appropriate."

Reached Saturday, Beatty said he plans to contest the penalty. He claims Heims told him an appeal would yield the same result.

"That kind of took me back. That's why I put that post up on Facebook," he said. "Monmouth Park is like a second home to me."

Drazin provided a different account of the interaction between Beatty and Heims.

"He was told we were willing to talk with him about it, but he said he didn't want to," Drazin said. "He said he did it. John did not say the hearing wouldn't change anything as (Beatty) has claimed."

Beatty said he and Drazin had previously sparred over what he called his "handshake" ownership of Horologist's dam, Cinderella Time. Drazin, an attorney, provided legal representation in the dispute on behalf of Holly Crest Farm, which bred and raced the mare, Beatty said. Beatty said he ultimately gave up what he felt was his ownership.

The mare sold last year at Keeneland's November Breeding Stock Sale for $245,000 to new owners Michael Lischin and Bob Petersen's Stable as part of the Lane's End consignment.

Beatty said he led Horologist into the winner's circle July 18 in excitement and being the only one with ties to the filly there at Monmouth. An assistant trainer for Jonathan Thomas saddled the filly in the paddock on behalf of Mott and encouraged him to lead her in, he said. Mott also had horses running that day at Saratoga.

"That's why I did it. I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn't excited about it. I felt like I was on top of the world," Beatty said. "I had a mask on. I had a mask on the whole day."

Drazin said Beatty's actions were in contrast to other owners on the TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) day card that drew a crowd of 3,546 to the Jersey Shore track and could jeopardize his ability to allow fans inside the racetrack if others follow his lead.

"Everyone else, including the owners of the Haskell winner, respected the rules," Drazin said. "He didn't and when people see us not adhering to the rules, we could lose the right to have fans or get shut down. The next day I got calls from people saying they can't get in the winner's circle, so what are we going to do about him? The state also wanted me to enforce the rules.

"We are one of the few tracks that has fans. We have fans because we take what we are doing seriously. At first we were not allowed to have fans and then (New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy) let us have fans and then worked with us to increase the number. But it was always understood that we have an obligation to enforce the COVID-19 protocols."