Burlington, NJ — In a recent article, a racetrack owner was quoted as saying, “Horsemen seem to have this absurd unspoken bond; that they protect each other.” The unspoken bond is that horsemen are not second-class citizens and as Americans are entitled to the legal presumption of innocence and due process of law afforded to all by the Constitution of this nation.

We find ourselves living in a world that easily gives into political apathy with an “us against them” mentality, if you are not one of “us” then you are one of “them” and with that comes negative rhetoric that energizes “us” against “them.” This is still a nation of laws and horsemen are endowed with the protections of those laws.

With great power comes even greater responsibility and discretion, and the private property rights that racetracks have can deny someone from participating at their venue without the benefit of due process of law as we’ve seen in recent announcements involving some horseman training in Florida. This frightens horsemen because tomorrow it could be them that are the subject of a track management’s decision to be excluded.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the legal system from moving forward with the horsemen who were indicted almost a year ago. While this delay is nobody’s fault, the result is justice delayed, which becomes justice denied.

While the industry waits for closure on these indictments, we should not condemn anyone, instead allow them their opportunity to defend themselves and let the courts decide their fate. Once that has been done, then and only then, can we be sure that the system has worked properly.

H.H.I. will continue to stand up for all horsemen and their right to the presumption of innocence and the due process of law given them as citizens of this nation; anything less is not acceptable.

The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” and that is still true today; hopefully we can allow justice to be done.