The trainer James Chapman, 51, faces a stalking misdemeanor charge in the aftermath of a backstretch dispute at Belmont Park.
Daily Racing Form's David Grening was first to break the story on Thursday, quoting Chapman as saying he spent Wednesday night in jail prior to pleading not guilty at a May 25 arraignment in Nassau First District Court.
Chapman told DRF that the charge stemmed from a “ridiculous” argument that escalated over round pens that had been located between barns at Belmont.
The alleged victim was a neighboring trainer, DRF reported. The two are no longer stabled adjacent to one another, and Chapman told Grening that the judge at his arraignment told him to “go the other way” if he encountered the alleged victim.
The court's website states that the incident dates to Apr. 15. Chapman's next court appearance is scheduled for June 8.
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