Veterinarian Galvin barred by NYRA from Belmont, then reinstated

Dr. Michael Galvin, a longtime equine practitioner at Belmont Park, was temporarily barred by Belmont from practicing this week but has been allowed back on the grounds, a spokesman for Belmont’s operator, the New York Racing Association, confirmed Saturday.

Galvin, whose main clients include Rudy Rodriguez, Orlando Noda, and Rob Atras, was barred on Thursday, according to Patrick McKenna, NYRA’s spokesman, who declined to offer details about the reasons behind the decision. McKenna said that Galvin was allowed back at Belmont on Friday.

“Dr. Michael Galvin’s NYRA credential was temporarily revoked this week due to a number of concerning operational and administrative issues related to his practice at Belmont Park,” McKenna said, in a prepared statement. “His NYRA credential was subsequently reinstated after he took action to address these issues.”

McKenna declined to elaborate on any aspect of the statement.

In April 1998, NYRA barred Galvin for the remainder of the year after the association accused the veterinarian of using a nasal-gastric tube on a filly on the day she was entered to race. The decision by NYRA was overturned by a federal court on appeal. Galvin then sued NYRA for $30 million, but the two parties reached a $500,000 settlement shortly after the trial started.

The state’s racing commission eventually suspended Galvin for 45 days due to improper record keeping based on the use of the tube. After Galvin appealed, the penalty was eventually reduced to a $250 fine.

A racing official with knowledge of the decision by NYRA this week said that Galvin’s veterinary operation was in “disarray,” citing the state of his veterinary trailer and billing operations. Veterinarians rent space on the backstretch at Belmont Park to park their trailers.

McKenna confirmed that the decision to bar Galvin was made by NYRA, rather than the New York Gaming Commission, which issues licenses to backstretch practitioners. A spokesman for the gaming commission did not respond to requests for comment.

* An earlier version of this story said that the New York Racing Commission increased the fine and suspension to 60 days and $15,000. Although the board did take that action, it later reduced the fine to $250 after multiple appeals.