“We
notified Freehold that we had concerns about the inconsistency of the racing
surface and that we wanted to be able to evaluate the track after Thursday’s
qualifiers,” said Tom Luchento, president of the Standardbred Breeders &
Owners Association of New Jersey, which represents horsemen in contracts and
negotiations with the state’s racetracks.
“We
wanted to give Freehold a chance to address our concerns,” noted
Luchento. “It was solely the decision of the track’s management to cancel
the qualifiers. Our concerns over the racing surface have been ongoing,
and we wanted to make sure it was fit for racing when the meet opens on August
30. The horsemen competing in the 12 qualifiers would have been able to
test the surface and share their insights but Freehold chose to take the
position of canceling the qualifiers.”
