Trainer Bond, under NYRA investigation, wins first race at Aqueduct with Bodegas

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Kevin Bond, the subject of an investigation by the New York Racing Association after an antisemitic post appeared on a Facebook group page earlier this month, won Sunday’s first race at Aqueduct with the New York-bred maiden Bodegas.

Bodegas was Bond’s first starter since the post attributed to him appeared on a Facebook group page that he says he does not follow. The comment was in response to a post about the death of Hollywood actor/director Rob Reiner on Dec. 15.

The post, which Bond maintains he did not write, caught the attention of the New York Racing Association president and CEO Dave O’Rourke, who put out a statement at the time that read: “NYRA condemns in the strongest possible terms the vile, antisemitic comments posted today on New York-based trainer Kevin Bond's Facebook account. NYRA has zero tolerance for this kind of hateful speech and will begin an investigation into the matter immediately.”

:: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now.

At the time, Bond told media outlets that his account was hacked and he has since deactivated that account.

“I’m just trying to put this behind me because my name is everything,” Bond said after Sunday’s victory, his first since April. “They never gave me a fair chance at giving a statement or anything. I just want to put this behind me and move forward because this is my passion; I love training horses and anybody at the track that knows me, knows my name is everything and I try to be as classy as I can all the time.”

Bond, who has eight horses stabled at Belmont Park, said NYRA has asked for certain things from him which he has supplied, mostly by e-mail.

“They had [NYRA steward] Victor Escobar corresponding with me in some e-mails, the last e-mail I got back from him was the day after Christmas and I responded back and haven’t got anything since, so that’s where I’m at,” said Bond, who has a horse entered Wednesday.

NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna said the investigation remains ongoing.

Kevin Bond is the son James Bond, a longtime New York-based trainer, and Tina Bond, the president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.