Testimony continued Tuesday in an administrative court case over a barrel racing license issued to Gretna Racing LLC.
Legal fireworks ensued as attorneys for the quarter horse racing industry tried to get state regulators with the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering to admit they issued a license for betting on barrel racing – the first of its kind in the country – in violation of state statutes.
“The issuance of a license for this type of racing … is contrary to their own rules,” said Florida Quarter Horse Racing Association attorney Steve Menton while asking questions of Jamie Pouncey, a license administrator with the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.
Menton was interrupted several times while interviewing Pouncey. Gretna Racing attorney and part-owner Marc Dunbar objected to the relevance and type of questions put to Pouncey, who he said shouldn’t be allowed to answer questions that constitute a legal opinion.
“What does the date of a Hialeah racing permit have to do with the matter before us?” Dunbar asked when Menton brought up procedures used to give licenses to a South Florida racetrack.
Administrative Court Judge Cathy Sellers overruled most of Dunbar’s objections.
The FQHRA and the American Quarter Horse Association filed their suit last year, contending that Gretna Racing’s license to conduct pari-mutuel wagering on horse races in a rodeo arena around a set-up of barrels instead of on a traditional quarter horse track is contrary to state law. The administrative court hearing began in April but was extended because of the length of witness testimony. The hearing is expected to last until Thursday.
Reporter Gray Rohrer can be reached at email@example.com.