Former NYRA Employees Sue Over Charges

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Two former state horseracing officials accused of lying about how much jockeys weighed have filed a $100-million lawsuit against ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer and state officials a year after charges against them were dismissed.

Former New York Racing Association clerk of scales Mario Sclafani and assistant Braulio Baeza were accused of allowing jockeys up to 15 pounds overweight to ride at three Thoroughbred tracks in 2004. A Saratoga County, N.Y., judge last year ruled the case was based on faulty evidence.

The federal lawsuit claims two innocent men lost their jobs and were banned from the industry because of the investigation by then-Attorney General Spitzer. A Spitzer spokeswoman has declined comment, and the racing association hasn’t responded to requests for comment. 

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