SAN DIEGO _ A San Diego Superior Court judge on Thursday pushed back a ruling on a complaint by horse racing trainer Jerry Hollendorfer against the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and 22nd Agricultural District.
Judge Ronald Frazier said in a court hearing that the arguments filed by both sides in the case this week were too voluminous for him to make an immediate ruling. He set a preliminary injunction hearing for July 26.
Attorneys for Hollendorfer and the California Thoroughbred Trainers are seeking a temporary restraining order that would allow Hollendorfer to work at the Del Mar race track in the summer meet that began Wednesday.
Hollendorfer, a 73-year-old Hall of Fame trainer, has not been allotted stalls at Del Mar after management at Santa Anita Park asked him to vacate his stalls there June 22, near the end of the Arcadia race track's winter-spring meet. On that day, a horse trained by Hollendorfer broke down in a morning workout and was euthanized. It was the fourth Hollendorfer horse to die during a meet in which 30 horses died.
Before the Del Mar meet began, DMTC executives informed Hollendorfer he would not have stable space.
Attorneys for Hollendorfer and CTT contend in their complaint, filed Monday, that Del Mar has not adhered to an agreement with the CTT that requires a hearing if there is a dispute between trainers and tracks.
"These are not garden variety issues," Judge Frazier said. "I am reluctant to make a rash decision."
Hollendorfer, in attendance for the hearing, said he was encouraged that the judge chose to take more time.
"It's better that the judge put it over rather than, like he said, make a hasty decision," Hollendorfer said. "I'm grateful that he's going to look into it some more."
