Edelson: Monmouth Park should scratch top trainer Jorge Navarro

OCEANPORT - Jorge Navarro wrapped up his fifth straight trainer's title at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

He dominated the meet with a record 65 wins.

He even won five races in one day.

And Monmouth Park would be better off without him.

After securing the last piece of his $1.26 million in earnings this summer, Navarro was hit with a $5,000 fine from the track's stewards for "conduct detrimental to racing."

While the video that resulted in the fine surfaced a month ago, it wasn't until the Monmouth Park meet was wrapping up that any punishment was handed out.

Oh, and the stewards also recommend that the New Jersey Racing Commission, which will take up the matter when it meets on Sept. 20, fine Navarro $10,000, and fine Randal Gindi, whose Monster Racing was the leading owner at Monmouth Park for much of the meet, winning eight straight races at one point, $20,000 for his role in the video.

It’s yet another black eye for the sport, which has been abandoned by so many fans, while others have opted not to wager on Monmouth Park’s races. The focus now must be on integrity and restoring public confidence.

On Wednesday, the Navarro-trained Duchess of Duke reportedly was scratched from the $100,000 Merriville Stakes at Indiana Grand because the Indiana Horse Racing Commission would not immediately license Navarro in the aftermath of the ruling in New Jersey. 

Also on Wednesday, the Stronach Group, which operates Laurel Park in Maryland, decided Navarro would not be allowed to race there as he was set to enter horses in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash, citing concerns about integrity.

Dennis Drazin, the CEO of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park,  said, "Navarro is welcome back at Monmouth Park next year. We are worried about the integrity of Monmouth Park, but we don't think this warrants us telling him not come back next year."

It all stems from an Aug. 4 incident that was captured on video and posted on YouTube a week later in which Navarro and Gindi are seen at a bar inside Monmouth Park watching a race from Gulfstream, which was won by a horse trained by Navarro's brother, Marcial.

The two repeatedly use the term "juice." While it's unclear which definition of the word they were employing, it's the one connected to performance-enhancing drugs that has some in the horse racing industry outraged.

In the video - Gindi and Navarro clearly know they are being recorded - Gindi says, “Adios, amigos. Adios, amigos. The juice man!"

Navarro responds: "Is that a Navarro? Is that a Navarro? Is that a Navarro at 2-1? That's the way we do it."

Gindi replies: "That's the juice. That's the vegetable juice."

Navarro then says: "We (expletive) everyone."

Finally, Gindi says: "We (expletive) everyone, and I line my pockets with the bookie with another $20,000. Oh, yeah! Life is great."

Navarro claims they were not being serious, but this is all about reinforcing the perception held by many that the sport's crooked.  

"Everyone wants to pick on Navarro when I win a race," Navarro told the Paulick Report. "They call me 'The Juice Man,' even when my kids are around. My son is 10, my daughter is 7. How many fingers do you have to count the number of times I hear that stuff? But I'm going to keep winning races."

Ed Plesa Jr., another Monmouth Park trainer, had a strong reaction after seeing the video.

"People will look at that and think that is the sport,’’ Plesa said. "For Navarro to be yelling out 'juice' is mind-boggling to me. Here's a trainer that has a tremendous win percentage. I think you would have to look far and deep for anyone to say he's that much superior to the rest of the trainers that are back here, or in the industry. And to be yelling that, whether he means it literally or whatever, it would be the last thing I would want coming out of my mouth.’’

While Navarro's horses have never failed a drug test in New Jersey, after wrapping up his first trainers' title at Monmouth Park in 2013, he was suspended in Florida for 60 days for positive drug tests, with Tampa Bay Downs banning him for its entire 2013-14 race meet. He also had a horse test positive for cocaine at Tampa Bay Downs earlier this year, vowing to vigorously challenge the result.

Monmouth Park depends on Navarro’s horses to fill races, since they only had around 900 horses on a backstretch that holds 1,550 this summer.

But is it worth it?

Two states already have taken a stand. Now, it’s time for Monmouth Park and New Jersey racing to do a little soul-searching of its own.

Because I don't think he's worth it.

Stephen Edelson is an Asbury Park Press columnist: sedelson@gannettnj.com