Clocker Appeals Fine, 30-Day Suspension Issued by NYGC

New York Racing Association clocker Richard Gazer has appealed a $2,500 fine and 30-day suspension "for altering a published work of a horse to make the horse eligible to race," according to a May 19 New York State Gaming Commission ruling.

A stay has been granted while his case is appealed.

According to Daily Racing Form, the ruling involved a workout from the Randi Persaud-owned and -trained Papi On Ice , who initially was reported to have breezed five furlongs in 1:04 3/5 May 1 on the Belmont Park training track. The workout on Equibase is now officially listed as four furlongs in :51.33.

Papi On Ice was pulled up in his debut March 19 at Aqueduct Racetrack and was beaten 26 3/4 lengths there in a maiden race April 16. He needed a half-mile workout faster than :53 to be removed from NYRA's poor-performance list and be cleared to start, the Form reported. 

According to the Form, the rule for removal from the poor-performance list does not allow for a workout to be farther than a half-mile, unlike the rule for horses returning from long layoffs.

Because Papi On Ice's workout initially was published as a five-furlong breeze, the racing office did not accept the entry of Papi On Ice when the horse was later entered, the Daily Racing Form story indicated.

Gazer, based at the Belmont main track and not the training track where Papi On Ice breezed, told the Form that the clocker who timed Papi On Ice over the training track informed him the horse worked a half-mile in :51.33 as part of the five-furlong workout. 

Papi On Ice has not raced or breezed since covering a half-mile in :50.88 May 11, also on the Belmont training track.