Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Thursday 8 March 2018

Bettor sues harness-racing trainer for loss linked to doping

By DAVID CRARY PETA contends that injured was engaging in interstate
NEW YORK (AP) — An ag- horses are sometimes dy- commerce.
grieved harness-racing ing on the tracks because The suit asks that Tretter be
bettor has gone to court to they were doped illegally recompensed for his lost
recoup more than $31,000 or overmedicated to keep winnings in the race and
in winnings he said he was them running when they be awarded additional pu-
cheated out of when a should be recuperating. nitive damages.
doped horse won a race in The lawsuit was filed on be- Bresnahan, who runs a sta-
New Jersey two years ago. half of Jeffrey Tretter, an ble in Manalapan, New Jer-
Leading figures in harness experienced gambler from sey, was emailed a copy of
racing said they had nev- Granite City, Illinois. the lawsuit by The Associ-
er before heard of such The lawsuit says Tretter ated Press. He had no im-
a lawsuit, which accuses placed wagers through an mediate comment.
the trainer of fraud and online betting site on a har- In February 2016, Bresnah-
racketeering. The general ness race at the Meadow- In this Nov. 20, 2013, file photo, letters spell out Meadowlands an issued a statement insist-
practice is to reallocate lands Racetrack on Jan. 15, over top the new grandstand at the race track in East Ruther- ing he neither administered
the purse to other owners in 2016. The horses he picked ford, N.J. EPO to Tag Up and Go, nor
the event a winning horse is to place first through fourth Associated Press authorized anyone else to
later proven to have been instead finished behind Tag do so.
doped, but not to pay Up and Go, who had been lands, but there was no The lawsuit alleges fraud “This news was a complete
back bettors. a longshot in the race. redress for bettors such as on the part of Bresnahan shock to me and obviously
The lawsuit, filed Wednes- Meadowlands later re- Tretter. and the company that very upsetting,” he wrote.
day in U.S. District Court in vealed that Tag Up and Go According to his lawsuit, he owned Tag Up and Go. It Shortly after that statement
New Jersey, represents an had tested positive for EPO, correctly picked the horses also alleges violations of appeared, Meadowlands
effort by People for the Ethi- a banned performance- that finished second, third, the federal and state anti- announced that a sec-
cal Treatment of Animals to enhancing substance, fourth and fifth behind the racketeering laws known ond horse of Bresnahan’s
open the gates for more based on blood samples doped horse in a variety as RICO (Racketeer Influ- had tested positive for
litigation by bettors, which taken in December. As a of wagers that would have enced and Corrupt Orga- EPO. But he said unscrupu-
the animal rights group result, trainer Robert Bres- paid a combined $31,835 if nizations Act), contending lous trainers are constantly
hopes would dramatically nahan Jr. was barred from Tag Up and Go had been that the federal law was vi- changing tactics to avoid
curtail illegal horse doping. competing at Meadow- disqualified. olated because Bresnahan detection.q

UCI chief wants investigation

into Team Sky doping findings

AIGLE, Switzerland (AP) — published on Monday, that partient says the findings
The head of cycling's world Team Sky crossed an "ethi- of the report "could affect
governing body wants an cal line" in 2012 by seeking the global credibility of the
investigation into the find- a therapeutic use exemp- sport."
ings of a doping report that tion for Wiggins to take a Responding to Lappar-
accused Team Sky of using banned steroid "not to treat tient's comments, Team
drugs to enhance the per- medical need but to im- Sky said it was "happy to
formance of Bradley Wig- prove his power to weight co-operate with any in-
gins and possibly other rid- ratio." vestigation by the UCI and In this Tuesday, May 14, 2013 file photo Britain's Bradley Wiggins,
second from right, pedals during the the 10th stage of the Giro
ers ahead of the 2012 Tour Wiggins went on to win the we would welcome further d'Italia, Tour of Italy cycling race, from Cordenons to Altopiano
de France. Tour de France that year. scrutiny of the select com- del Montasio.
UCI President David Lap- Wiggins and Team Sky have mittee's report." Associated Press
partient says he would like both denied the accusa- A team statement said:
his organization's indepen- tions, saying any medica- "While we have acknowl- "Furthermore, we are con- the team and its riders. We
dent anti-doping division to tion used was for legitimate edged past failings, we cerned that the commit- welcome any review by
"see if there is some viola- reasons and within UCI and strongly deny the very seri- tee presented these un- the UCI which can help
tion of anti-doping rules." World Anti-Doping Agency ous new allegations about substantiated allegations establish the nature of the
A British parliamentary rules. the use of medication to without providing evidence evidence relied on by the
committee said in a dop- In an interview with the enhance performance, as to support them, which is committee in coming to its
ing investigation report, BBC on Wednesday, Lap- does Bradley Wiggins. fundamentally unfair to conclusions."q