Tote scratched the
by mistake. Per NY law, once a horse has been scratched, it can't be undone. Which isn't the case in any other jurisdiction that I know of.
Obviously fault lies with tote, but I find it pretty absurd that a mistake can be made at 10:00 am, realized at 10:01 am, and instead of just fixing it before betting even opens, the public is screwed for the entire day.
Human error is always a risk, and I just don't see how a rule like that benefits or protects anyone. Then again, it's not the first or last time that something in this industry hasn't made sense to me.