Federal judge throws out Dutrow's lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit lodged last year by the banned trainer Richard Dutrow against New York regulators and the Association of Racing Commissioners International, contending that Dutrow did not have cause to argue his case in a matter that had already been decided by state courts.

The dismissal is the latest chapter in a long-running saga pitting Dutrow against New York regulators, who banned the trainer for 10 years in early 2011 based on a lengthy record of suspensions. Dutrow’s appeals of the ban were exhausted in state courts in January 2013, just prior to his filing of a federal lawsuit against the New York State Gaming Commission, the successor to the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, and its former officials.

Judge Sandra Townes of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued the dismissal of the federal suit Tuesday, agreeing on largely technical grounds with the New York State Gaming Commission and other plaintiffs that the suit had no merit.

In part, the ruling stated that Dutrow had already fully argued his case in his appeals in state court, and that he had not demonstrated that he would present any additional information in the federal suit.