Andrew Byrnes, the longtime stakes coordinator for the New York Racing Association, testified Wednesday at a New York State Gaming Commission hearing that he personally returned an envelope that contained a monetary gift from trainer Linda Rice to her after she allegedly gave money to NYRA racing department employees following her winning the training title at Saratoga in 2009. Byrnes testified how Jose Morales Jr., then an entry clerk for NYRA, came into the racing office with envelopes for employees of that department for what Morales said “was helping Linda win the training title.” Byrnes, testifying at a hearing to review Rice’s license, said that he did not feel comfortable accepting the monetary gift. He also said he did not feel comfortable giving the envelope to Morales, for fear that he might pocket the money and that it would appear he accepted it. “I didn’t want to run the risk of it not getting back to Ms. Rice and I personally wanted to tell Linda, ‘Thank you for thinking of me but I’m not comfortable accepting this so I’m handing it back personally,’” Byrnes testified under cross examination from Rice’s attorney Andrew Turro. It was not clear how much money was in the envelope. Byrnes, who has been with NYRA for 29 years, said he believes employees are not permitted to take monetary gifts of more than $50. Morales, whose license has been suspended for allowing improper access to his NYRA computer for several years, testified on Tuesday that Rice would sometimes give him and other racing office employees monetary gifts worth $500, $1,000 or $2,000. Byrnes was one of several witnesses to testify Wednesday on the second day of a hearing to determine whether the commission should suspend or revoke Rice’s license for “corrupt and improper acts in relation to racing.” Specifically, Rice is alleged to have received past performances of horses who were entered in races she may have been considered running a horse in before those races were officially drawn. In addition, the commission alleges that Rice paid “substantial sums” of money for that information. The commission is trying to show that no other trainers were provided that information. The time period during which Rice was alleged to have been given this information covers the 2011-12 Aqueduct winter meet through March 2015. The investigation into Rice began when Morales, after testifying in a case where he was charged with allowing improper access to his NYRA computer to people not affiliated with NYRA, said that he would provide Rice with the information about horses running in a race prior to those races being drawn. This enabled Rice to decide which, if any, horses to enter in certain races. John Clyne, NYRA’s director of security, testified Wednesday that NYRA, via subpoena, obtained emails that contained PDF files of past performances sent by Morales to Rice and turned them over to the Queens District Attorney’s office in 2016. Clyne said Rice was interviewed by the Queens DA in May 2016. In mid-July 2016, Clyne said, NYRA was notified that the Queens DA decided to close the case without pressing charges. “We thought there was a criminal case there, but the Queens DA office decided against it,” Cline said. “After that, we decided it should be handled by the gaming commission.” On Tuesday, Morales detailed how he would provide Rice with the information, first by fax then ultimately by email. Morales said that when he was not available to help Rice, he had Matt Salvato, then an intern with NYRA, help Rice. Salvato, who rose through the ranks to become NYRA racing secretary in November 2017, was terminated by NYRA in January 2018 for his role in helping Rice and not being truthful about it. He testified Tuesday as well. P.J. Campo, who was the racing secretary at NYRA from 2005-13, was called as a witness Wednesday and said he was “very surprised” to hear that Morales was providing Rice with the information, and that it was unnecessary. “It’s just a simple process,” said Campo, who now works as a jockey agent for Eric Cancel. “I also think some of the trainers know who is going in a race by some of the homework they’re doing. It’s not complicated.” When asked if he felt it was an unfair advantage for a trainer to have the past performances of potential opponents, Campo said: “I think it’s an unfair advantage if you’re seeing it. Do I think it affects anything? No. Do I think there are other things in horse racing that affect the integrity of it, like drug violations? Thousand percent.” Dan Haughney, director of investigations for the gaming commission, testified he and another investigator contacted NYRA trainers and former racing clerks and, on the promise of confidentiality, attempted to determine what type of practices were used by racing office employees to hustle horses into races that were light in numbers. Haughney said that when he specifically asked the clerk if a name of a horse entered in the race was ever given to a trainer, the answer was, “To a certain extent, yeah.” Haughney said he specifically asked if the clerk was ever given a financial tip or bonus, and the answer was, “I heard the rumor, but I never saw it.” The gaming commission is expected to call more witnesses on Nov. 12. Rice is scheduled to present her defense on Nov. 17-19.