ALBANY — State racing regulators are looking to beef up horse security at the Aug. 25 Travers Stakes in Saratoga — the biggest race in the East outside the Triple Crown, The Post has learned.
Officials are in discussions but haven’t agreed on a final plan, Racing and Wagering Board spokesman Lee Park confirmed yesterday.
The move would follow heightened security ahead of the June 9 Belmont Stakes, when horses were given blood tests and stalled in a secured area three days before the race to prevent tampering.
Regulators are mindful of recent horse deaths, drug allegations, bettor-shorting and other scandals plaguing the industry, which prompted a state takeover of the operator of the Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct racetracks — the New York Racing Association.