Man who drove into Saratoga Lake denied license to work at track

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lee Coleman

The Kentucky man who drove a car into Saratoga Lake last week will no longer be able to work as an exercise rider and groom at Saratoga Race Course, the state Racing and Wagering Board has ruled.

Daniel R. Burgess, 49, of Lexington, Ky., was charged with assault and criminal contempt after the Aug. 18 incident, accused of assaulting a 31-year-old Kentucky woman on the backstretch of the racetrack earlier in the day.

He remained in the Saratoga County jail on Wednesday, unable to pay the $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond set in Saratoga Springs City Court.

Burgess had a temporary permit to work on the backstretch at the track and had applied Aug. 14 for a license to permanently work at the track. The state Racing and Wagering Board ruled this week that it won’t issue Burgess the license, however.

The reason given by the board was: “Your experience, character and general fitness are such that your participation in racing or related activities would be inconsistent with the public interest … or with the best interests of racing generally.”

Lee Park, a spokesman for the Racing and Wagering Board, said Wednesday the board also noted that Burgess allegedly violated regulations in Indiana. He said the Indiana Horse Racing Commission ordered a summary suspension of Burgess in June 2010 for failing to provide all information regarding his criminal history.

The 1988 Ford Taurus that Burgess drove from the track to the state boat launch on Route 9P belonged to the alleged assault victim. She told police that Burgess hit her with a closed fist and poured beer on her that morning in a dorm room on the backstretch of the track before driving away.

Burgess was arraigned on a charge of third-degree assault and two counts of criminal contempt that stem from the violation of an order of protection issued in the state of Kentucky and ordering that Burgess stay away from the woman. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a mental health evaluation was ordered by the court last week.