Sports

NYRA bans ‘Indian Charlie’ newsletter from grounds

The horse racing newsletter “Indian Charlie” has been banned from Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga race tracks, according to the New York Racing Association on Saturday, likely in response to insensitive comments made about Mexicans in its April 26 issue.

“In light of recent offensive content in the ‘Indian Charlie’ newsletter, The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) will no longer permit the newsletter to be distributed on the grounds of its racetracks,” NYRA said in a statement. “NYRA has not been an advertiser in ‘Indian Charlie’ in recent years, nor will it be one in the future.”

The announcement appeared to be in response to an item headlined “How To Keep PETA Operatives From Infiltrating Your Racing Stable.” The first suggestion was to “try to hire Mexicans.”

“There has never been a known undercover PETA informant from south of the border,” the newsletter said. “And let’s face it, you would be hard-pressed to find a Mexican who hasn’t, at one time or another in their lifetime, made a meal out of someone’s pet dog, cat and/or hamster.”

Ed Musselman, the writer and publisher of the newsletter, apologized in its May 1 issue in an item headlined “I Screwed it Up.”

“My comments about Mexicans in the April 26 edition of this publication were a very poor attempt at humor,” he wrote. “It was not meant to demean the Mexican people, who I as well as anyone know give so much to our sport on a daily basis and receive so little in return.

“The Mexicans I know personally, both on and off the racetrack, are hardworking honorable people.”

“Indian Charlie” is a free satirical publication that pokes fun at the powerbrokers in the racing industry and others, but Musselman acknowledged he crossed a line.

“Since Day One this publication has tried to be an ‘equal opportunity offender’ regardless of nationality,” he wrote. “With that said, I want to apologize to my readers and especially to my advertisers, who I put in a very bad no-win situation.”

The Keeneland Association also said Tuesday it will no longer advertise in the racing letter or allow it to be distributed on Keeneland’s grounds, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.

“Keeneland works diligently to ensure that all of our customers, clients, employees and outside staff, whether for racing or sales, are treated with the utmost respect and dignity,” Keeneland said in a news release. “Any standards or statements less than that are unacceptable within our industry and the international community that we strive to serve.”