The Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation board on Aug. 21 denied Breeders' Cup-winning trainer Maria Borell's request for a license to train in the state.
The unanimous vote, other than one abstention, went against the recommendation of a Kentucky hearing officer. In June, that hearing officer, Clayton Patrick, found a 2025 decision by the board's licensing hearing violated Borell's due process rights based on "vague and inconsistent" grounds.
After Friday's vote, Bob Heleringer, attorney for Borell, said she will now pursue litigation in an effort to get licensed.
"We're going back to court and that's where we thought it would end up," Heleringer said. "So in a way, it's no surprise. So we'll be back in court, and we'll let the judge decide."
READ: Borell's Effort to Get Licensed in Kentucky Fails
Borell's career went into tumult after she won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) with Runhappy. She was let go as Runhappy's trainer the next day. Litigation with Runhappy's owner, James McIngvale, followed. The following year she and her father, Charles "Chuck" Borell, were charged with 43 counts of second degree animal cruelty in Mercer County, Ky.
Charles Borell entered an Alford guilty plea in 2016 on nine of the 43 counts and was sentenced to 179 days in jail but was released provided he adhered to conditions of a two-year probationary period. Maria Borell, who had relocated to Florida, turned herself in to Kentucky law enforcement about six years later after the charges were made and posted a $7,500 cash bond as a condition of release. In 2023, all charges against her were dismissed.
READ: Animal Cruelty Charges Against Borell Dismissed
Ahead of Friday's meeting, Borell said she would like to again condition horses on the Kentucky circuit and has at least one owner lined up if she is reinstated.
