Finley supports claim with new data

Terry Finley, the racing-partnership founder who narrowly lost an election late last year for president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, has submitted additional information in his appeal of the voting results.

The information came in the form of a letter dated Thursday that Finley sent to the NYTHA board, along with addresses of individuals whom Finley claims were eligible to vote in the election because they were in a database of owners maintained by the New York State Gaming Commission. The letter claims that the addresses maintained by the gambling commission should have been used by the NYTHA for its mailing list, and it says the existence of the database contradicts the claims of NYTHA officials.

The NYTHA board is set to consider the appeal materials during a Tuesday hearing that will be closed to the public. Finley is asking for the previous election result to be thrown out, with a new election held.

Finley lost the election to two-time incumbent Rick Violette by a vote count of 625-611. Shortly after Finley appealed the results, he claimed in his first submission to the board that the election was mishandled and that voters who would have supported his candidacy were not sent ballots. NYTHA officials strongly disputed Finley’s allegations as part of their official response to the appeal.