A hearing scheduled for Wednesday to determine whether Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen should lose his New York training licence due to over $1 million in labour-law violations has been postponed until after the Breeders' Cup, as confirmed by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC).
“The parties have agreed to postpone the hearing to November 13,” said NYSGC spokesperson Brad Maione in a statement on Tuesday.
The case involves accusations by federal and state authorities that Asmussen failed to pay overtime to his stable employees in New York and Kentucky, dating back to 2010. In June, the NYSGC served notice, stating Asmussen must prove whether he “is financially irresponsible” or has “engaged in improper, corrupt, or fraudulent acts related to racing.”
Asmussen has already been ordered to pay $562,196 to settle back wages and penalties in New York. Separately, he has appealed a federal court ruling requiring him to pay $486,520 in overtime and damages to 163 grooms and hotwalkers in Kentucky.
Asmussen's attorney, Clark Brewster, previously stated, “Steve has always paid at the top of the scale for all backside workers. The issue has never been about actual pay, but about rules regarding record-keeping.”
The new hearing date, presided over by Clark Petschek, is set for November 13, more than a week after the Breeders’ Cup, which will be held on November 1-2 at Del Mar. Petschek previously oversaw the medication case that led to Forte's disqualification in the 2022 Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes.