NEW YORK (AP) — An aggrieved harness-racing bettor has gone to court to recoup more than $31,000 in winnings he said he was cheated out of when a doped horse won a race in New Jersey two years ago.
Leading figures in harness racing said they had never before heard of such a lawsuit, which accuses the trainer of fraud and racketeering.
The general practice is to reallocate the purse to other owners if a winning horse is later proven to have been doped, but not to pay back bettors.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.
It represents an effort by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to open the gates for more litigation by bettors, which the animal rights group hopes would dramatically curtail illegal horse doping.