LAST WEEK A WELL KNOWN HORSEMAN WHOSE THOROUGHBREDS HAVE RACED AT ALL THREE NEW YORK TRACKS WAS ARRESTED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY. STATE POLICE AND THE HUMANE SOCIETY FOUND MANY OF THE 177 HORSES ON ERNIE PARAGALLO'S CENTERBROOK FARM OUTSIDE COXSACKIE SERIOUSLY MALNOURISHED, AND HAD TO PUT DOWN THREE.

BUT A LOCAL ANIMAL RIGHTS ADVOCATE TELLS OUR LIZ BISHOP THE SAME THING HAPPENED TWO YEARS EARLIER.   SUSAN WAGNER OF EQUINE ADVOCATES SAYS SHE TOOK THREE HORSES FROM CENTERBROOK FARM THAT WERE NEAR DEATH.   SARATOGA VETERANARIAN DR. BILL BARNES TREATED THEM  TELLS LIZ THE HORSES WERE 250 POUNDS UNDERWEIGHT.    WAGNER IS UPSET BECAUSE SHE SAYS NOTHING WAS EVER DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM UNTIL  STATE TROOPERS AND THE HUMANE SOCIETY SWOOPED DOWN ON PARAGALLOS UPSTATE FARM LAST WEEK WHERE NEARLY 200 HORSES WERE LIVING WITH LITTLE FOOD AND WATER AND PUT AN END TO THE NEGLECT. PARAGALLO CLAIMED HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE ANIMALS CONDITION, BUT TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT HE CALLED MISMANAGEMENT, AND SURRENDERED DOZENS TO THE CARE OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY. HE WAS ARRESTED ON FRIDAY AND CHARGED WITH 22 COUNTS OF ANIMAL CRUELTY.

WAGNER SAYS THE PUNISHMENT IS FITTING BUT TWO YEARS TOO LATE.  THE NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION BARRED PARAGALLO FROM THEIR TRACKS AND THE STATE RACING AND WAGERING BOARD STRIPPED HIM OF HIS LICENSE TO ACT AS AN AGENT FOR HIS DAUGHTERS, WHO NOW OWN HIS PARANECK STABLE.   JOHN SABINI, THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD SAYS HE IS GOING TO INVESTIGATE THE WHOLE "OWNER AGENT" CONCEPT SO THAT IT IS NOT ALLOWED TO BECOME A CONSOLATION PRIZE FOR THOSE THROWN OUT OF THE SPORT.     THE HORSES THAT WAGNER SAVED ARE LIVING HEALTHY HAPPY LIVES ON A FARM IN SARATOGA COUNTY.  PARAGALLO TELLS LIZ THAT WAGNER DID NOT SAVE ANY HORSES, HE GAVE THEM TO HER...AND HE SAYS IN HIS RECENT RUN-IN WITH THE LAW THAT HE MAY HAVE MISMANAGED THE HORSES' CARE BUT THAT IT'S NOT A CRIME AND WHEN HE BECAME AWARE OF IT, HE TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM.