Northern California trainer Hollendorfer banned at Del Mar

Hall of fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who was banned from running horses at two California racetracks last month, has now been told he cannot run horses at a third track, Del

Mar, which opens its summer season July

17.

Hollendorfer’s lawyer, Drew

Couto, told this news organization Wednesday that the third ban puts the trainer’s 40-year career in jeopardy.

Couto, who is based in San Diego, said Hollendorfer has about 60 horses he plans to run at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa for the competitions there Aug. 1-4 and Aug. 8-11.

But, Couto said, “When racing finishes in Santa Rosa, Jerry has no place to go in Northern California.”

He added, “Sixty horses have to be dispersed. The owners have to move them, sell them. That’s just a practical reality.”

Couto said he thinks Del Mar officials banned Hollendorfer earlier this week because they decided they could not risk the public outcry. He said the track actively encouraged Hollendorfer to enter horses in its races when the Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields in Albany, banned Hollendorfer last month from both tracks. The ban came after a fourth horse trained by him died at Santa Anita while racing or training.

“They don’t think they can absorb the public relations risk,” said Couto, formerly the president of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. “That’s our perception of what we’ve been told.”

A Del Mar spokesman declined to comment about the Hoffendorfer situation.

Hollendorfer could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

The horse racing industry has faced a backlash this year with growing awareness of how many thoroughbreds die during racing and training across the country. Santa Anita saw 30 horses die during its season that ran from late December to June.

Golden Gate Fields had nine racing and training fatalities from late December to June, according to the California Horse Racing Board. Two of the deaths were horses that Hollendorfer had trained.

After being banned from Santa Anita and Golden Gate, Hollendorfer also was barred by the New York Racing Association. Hollendorfer, 73, of Port Richmond, ranks third all time among trainers with 7,622 race wins.

He got his start on Bay Area tracks four decades ago.

Couto said Del Mar officials are being forced into making a public relations move.

“They feel they are boxed into a corner,” he said. “They are getting a lot of pressure from a lot of angles to say something.”

He said he is trying to find a pragmatic solution for his client, “one that prevents Jerry from losing his entire business.”

Couto said the California Horse Racing Board, which is the body that licenses trainers, does not have any pending actions against Hollendorfer.

Chuck Winner, the racing board’s chairman, said Wednesday individual track owners have the right to accept or reject any licensee.

“But as far as the CHRB is concerned, Hollendorfer is a licensed trainer,” he said.

Winner said the track owners have made decisions “based on their view of the number of catastrophic injuries that came out of the Hollendorfer barn.” He continued, “If you take the view the safety of the horse is paramount at this point, you look at every situation and you make a judgement.”

Winner added that it can take the horse racing board months or even years to suspend or revoke a license. He said the current system allows track owners to take immediate action for the safety of the horses.

Winner said that while he understands the rationale for the bans it “doesn’t mean I agree with it.”

Couto said Hollendorfer has not been given a hearing, or has he been told of any specific allegations against him.

“In a circumstance like this, one would hope no matter who it is they’d at least have some fair process,” Couto said.

In an interview last month, Hollendorfer told this new organization that he was not given any reason for being banned at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields.

The hard-line stance against Hollendorfer has some California racing officials worried.

“This isn’t about Jerry Hollendorfer, this is about due process,” said Tom Doutrich, secretary of California Authority of Racing Fairs. “It’s very concerning to a lot of people whose livelihoods are on the line.”