Delaware Park Owner-Trainer- Lifetime Ban

Delaware Park Owner-Trainer- Lifetime Ban

By Nick D’Agostino

The Delaware Park Stewards have suspended Mark Powell owner and trainer for life. He appeared telephonically represented by Gary Katz Attorney at Law in a hearing on July 26th 2019. The hearing was held in the matter finding him guilty of DTRC 10.2.2:

“No person shall at any time cause or permit the correct identity of a horse to be concealed or altered nor shall any person refuse to reveal the correct identity of a horse he owns, or which is in his care, to a Racing Official”

as well as DTRC Rule 18.3.1

“…either the Commission, the Stewards or the Licensee may bar or eject any person from Licensee’s grounds…who, by reason of his or her past or contemplated conduct or associations is, or would be, in any direct or indirect way detrimental to the continued maintenance and promotion of high standards for honesty, integrity and propriety in all…racing conducted in Delaware.”

As testimony was concluded and evidence was presented the Delaware Park Board of Stewards fined Mark Powell $2500.00 and suspended his Delaware Racing Commission occupational license and barred his participation for life. They found Mark Powell intentionally was running horses and concealing their identity of which weren’t the horses named.

July 9, 2018 race 9- So Big Boy disqualified from first and declared unplaced

July 28, 2018 race 8- So Big Boy disqualified from first and declared unplaced

August 4, 2018 race 9- Bigg Girl disqualified from first and declared unplaced

August20, 2018 race 8- So Big Boy disqualified from first and declared unplaced

August 25, 2018 race 9- Bigg Girl disqualified from first and declared unplaced

There is no place for anything even remotely like this in horse racing and while we applaud the efforts of the stewards what is amazing to me is that there is much of this same type of thing going on at lower and mid-level tracks. This is a rarity at high level tracks and their practices must be examined so that the lower level tracks avoid these types of incidences and can learn from them. While I am happy that the purses were redistributed it’s the bettor that takes it in the shorts. Too bad the people that wagered on these races couldn’t recoup their losses as they were swindled out of their money.