Delaware Park suspends assistant handler caught punching horse

An assistant handler at Delaware Park horse-racing track has been suspended for punching a horse in the head, park officials have said.

The incident happened Thursday and was caught on video.

A special hearing on the incident was expected to be held Saturday by the state Thoroughbred Racing Commission, and a ruling could come out Sunday or Monday, according to NBC10.

Across state lines, in New Jersey, sports betting became legalized the same day of the race. Gov. Murphy wagered $20 on Germany to win the World Cup and $20 more on the New Jersey Devils to capture another championship in 2019.

It was a triumphant culmination of the Garden State's eight-year struggle to legalize sports betting, one that ended when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in its favor last month and struck down the federal ban on sports wagering. The decision paved the way for expansion of a multibillion-dollar industry in Delaware, which has also legalized sports betting, New Jersey, and more states to come.