A veterinarian in Illinois filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging Hawthorne Race Course and other officials there allowed horses they knew to be injured, sick, or lame to run in races over a two-year period and approximately 75 racing dates.
Hawthorne officials deny the allegations in the civil suit and the Illinois Racing Board said it has found no evidence to support the allegations.
The plaintiff, Dr. Christine Tuma, claims the defendants "intentionally violated federal and state laws when they certified lame and sick horses to race, while abusing the animals in their care and defrauding the betting public."
She alleges the motivation of the "enterprise," as it is described in the complaint, was to "increase the number of horses racing, increase the total number of races run, drive up their respective portion of the takeout (or percentage of wagers), and protect their powerful positions." She says this happened behind a backdrop of, among other things, declining horse racing business in Illinois, deterioration of Hawthorne's financial condition, and an explosive allegation of "use of this inside information in wagering."
Tuma alleges the defendants through chief state veterinarian Dr. Dawn Folker-Calderon and association veterinarian Dr. Beth Beuchler overturned her medical assessments and intentionally facilitated and fraudulently certified the running of more than 80 sick, injured, or lame horses as fit or qualified to race.
Named defendants are Hawthorne, the Illinois Racing Board, Jim Miller, John Walsh, Dave White, Folker-Calderon, Beuchler, Thomas Kelley, and John Eddy. They are accused of civil violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act.
It's important to remember that allegations in a lawsuit outline only one side of a case and these accusations are not coming from law enforcement. According to a report at WBEZ in Chicago, the defendants are expected to file responses denying the allegations.
In a statement provided to BloodHorse, Hawthorne said the lawsuit is defamatory and that Tuma is using the legal system to settle professional disagreements after being laid off by the track.
"Tuma’s lawsuit is false and misguided and Hawthorne will vigorously contest it in court. Besides defaming Hawthorne, the oldest family-owned race course in North America with an unmatched record of safety and integrity, Tuma is using the legal system to settle professional disagreements with other, more experienced and accomplished veterinarians at the track and the Illinois Racing Board. These professionals have dedicated their careers at Hawthorne and the racing board to performing with the highest degree of professionalism.
"Unfortunately, in 2023, economic conditions and economic conditions alone forced Hawthorne to lay off a number of employees, including Tuma, a part-time track veterinarian who had only been hired three years earlier."
The Illinois Racing board, in a statement from executive director Domenic DiCera, said it has already investigated some of Tuma's charges and found no wrongdoing as well as notifying federal authorities.
“The Illinois Racing Board takes all allegations of improper conduct, horse welfare and racetrack safety very seriously. When we were made aware of some of these allegations in March 2023, we immediately looked into the matter and alerted federal horse racing authorities. We found no credible evidence to support any allegations of wrongdoing at the time, nor have federal authorities made us aware of any substantiated allegations.
"Because we received this lawsuit this morning from the media and not through legal channels, we are currently reviewing the filing. However, we vociferously reject any allegation of unethical conduct and will make our case in court.”
Tuma's complaint says the actions of the defendants have caused her to sustain unspecified "loss of income, benefits, career opportunities, humiliation, and emotional distress" and demands she be paid "actual damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, treble damages, attorney’s fees and costs, and any other relief deemed proper" by the court.
