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New York State Racing and Wagering Board Chief William Barry has widened investigations under way before the scandal broke to include computerized screening of every owner, trainer and jockey—some 36,000 people—licensed to operate at the state's 15 tracks. One goal of the search: to check all links to Gerard, who investigators think may have owned horses racing in the state through front men. Veterinarians licensed to practice at state tracks are barred from such conflict-of-interest ownership.
That similar scandals do not occur frequently would appear to be a matter of luck rather than the thoroughness of the identification standards set up by racing officials. American-bred horses are required to bear lip tattoos in most states. However, tattoos often fade with age and—as was often done by rustlers in the Old West—can be altered. The only foolproof form of identification is comparison of the chestnuts, or night eyes—horny growths on the inside of the legs. Like fingerprints in humans, no two sets of night eyes are the same. But registration of the night eyes and tattoos is not made until a horse is brought to a track for racing, not soon after birth. Only New York tracks require the expensive night-eye procedure.
The Gerard case spotlights a problem that can only be compounded as the number of tracks and official racing days increase. In recent years, New York State has expanded its racing season from 258 days in 1973 to 302 days this year. The demand for horses to fill expanding meetings—and the opportunity for swaps and swindles—grows with each additional racing day, making it difficult for harried stewards and security investigators to keep tabs on all thoroughbreds. The growth of exotic betting devices—super-fectas and the like—with their huge payoffs represents an additional impetus to crooked horsemen. Perhaps the only ones within the racing community to benefit from the latest scandal are the bookies. Says one oddsmaker: "It's very good for business. Every tout around is telling guys, 'Hey, listen, I know something about this horse. It's not really the horse . . .' "