Vitali's NYRA hearing set to begin March 1

Marcus Vitali, who with Bob Baffert was one of two trainers served with hearing notices by the New York Racing Association, has been scheduled to appear before a NYRA-appointed hearing officer beginning on March 1, NYRA said late on Wednesday.

Vitali, who has served a number of suspensions and private bans over the past five years, was charged with “conduct detrimental to racing” by NYRA in September and ordered to appear for a private hearing. The March 1 date was set by the hearing officer, Robert S. Smith, a retired New York Court of Appeals judge, during a scheduling hearing on Wednesday, according to NYRA.

Vitali has stated 99 horses this year and won with 14 of them, according to Equibase records, largely at tracks in Pennsylvania and at Finger Lakes in upstate New York. The trainer has been barred or suspended by racing commissions and racetracks for a number of infractions over the past seven years, including removing contraband from a dorm room at Delaware Park during a search by security personnel in 2017.

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After serving a one-year ban, Vitali returned to training and has since been dogged by accusations of using paper trainers.

NYRA adopted protocols in early September for the conduct of internal hearings to consider bans of licensees. Earlier this week, the hearing officer in Baffert’s case set Jan. 24 as the beginning date of the trainer’s hearing. Baffert has also been charged by NYRA with conduct detrimental to racing.