OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The New York State Gaming Commission fined New York Racing Association racing official Rob MacLennan $2,000 for failing to tend to business in a professional manner, necessitating two claims to be voided, according to a ruling on the Gaming Commission website. The fine results from the last race on Sept. 2 at Saratoga when the claims of Justice Department and Bold Looker, each for $16,000, were voided. In those instances, the clerk of scales was not alerted by the racing office to the claim of either horse, which resulted in both horses returning to their original barns instead of the test barn as required. As such, the claims were voided by the stewards. Justice Department, who finished third in the race, was returned to Chad Brown while Bold Looker, who finished fifth, was returned to Ian Wilkes. :: Get Belmont at the Big A Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day. A third horse, Deputy Connect, was claimed and that claim stood because Deputy Connect was sent to the test barn immediately after the race and the fact there was a claim put in for that horse was relayed to officials at the test barn before he returned to his original trainer’s barn. “The error resulting in the voided claims was inadvertent,” Pat McKenna, NYRA vice president/communications, said in an e-mailed statement. “NYRA will review the process by which claims are communicated and adjust as necessary.” In June 2022, the Gaming Commission fined Frank Gabriel, NYRA’s vice president/racing operations, $4,000 for a similar situation involving the voided claim of Battalion from the fourth race on May 28. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.