Robert Zubkoff was given the best odds of winning his race at Raceway Park.
But then the harness driver's luck turned sour Friday night. He not only lost the race but was stabbed afterward at the racetrack's bar by an irate gambler, police said yesterday.
Mr. Zubkoff, 37, was in serious condition in St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center last night after being gashed on the left side of his chest during a fight in the sports bar of the North Toledo park.
His accused attacker, Mohamed Jomaa, 65, was in the Lucas County jail last night charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony. If convicted, Mr. Jomaa faces two to eight years in jail and a maximum fine of $15,000
Mr. Zubkoff, a lifelong harness racer, was picked by the track's guide to finish third in the race. But more Raceway Park patrons bet on his No. 5 horse, Badget, than any other for the race - giving him the best race odds, 2-to-1. If he had won, the bettors would have gotten twice what they bet. Instead, his horse finished fifth. A horse with 6-to-1 odds won.
It was Mr. Zubkoff's only race of the night, so he met friends at the track's sports bar, according to witnesses and Mr. Zubkoff's family.
Shortly after the track's 13th and final race, about 11:30 p.m., Mr. Jomaa reportedly approached Mr. Zubkoff at the sports bar and began shouting obscenities.
“The guy walked up and screamed, `I'll never bet you on a [expletive] No. 5 horse again,'” said the victim's brother, Mark.
Witnesses told the victim's family that Mr. Jomaa continued to shout at Mr. Zubkoff, despite the driver's friends trying to push Mr. Jomaa away. Mr. Jomaa broke free and approached Mr. Zubkoff, and the two traded punches.
“They got into it, got split up, and then the guy [Mr. Jomaa] came at him with a knife,” Mark Zubkoff said.
Patrons began screaming “fight,” which drew the attention of an off-duty sheriff's deputy working security. The deputy raced to the bar and found Mr. Zubkoff staggering, according to Sheriff James Telb.
“The victim didn't know he was stabbed at first,” Sheriff Telb said. “He said, `I was beaten up. I was assaulted.' Then he looked down and said, `I've been stabbed!'”
Mr. Jomaa of 3425 Hughes Drive was taken to a track security office before being taken to jail, Sheriff Telb said. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound suspect was booked into jail with $254 in his pockets.
Mr. Jomaa's wife, Ann, said last night that she didn't know what happened and declined to comment further.
Mark Zubkoff said that, while he wasn't at the bar to see how the fight began, he talked to several witnesses who heard the exchange before the fight.
Sheriff Telb confirmed that the fight began over an argument about “a race or races.”
Police did not immediately find a weapon, and no witnesses saw one, Sheriff Telb said.
Because the racetrack is within city limits, city police have taken over the case. Chief Mike Navarre said last night that no more information was available.
The sports bar is part of the grandstand area, about 50 feet from the betting windows. Anyone at the track can watch the beginning of the race from there or monitor other races on TVs.
Mr. Zubkoff is part of a family of five brothers and a father, Ed, who all at one time have trained horses or raced at the racetrack.
The family can't remember a time when a driver got stabbed at the park. Neither can Mike White, the racetrack's general manager.
“I'd say it's the first time,” Mr. White said. “There's been an occasional fist-fight between customers, but never anything to this extent.”
Rachel Zinn contributed to this report.
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