ALBANY — Some horse trainers working at Saratoga Race Course failed to pay their workers minimum wage and overtime, a state Labor Department investigation has found.

Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith said at a news conference today that a state investigation begun in July revealed 80 percent of the 110 backstretch workers interviewed were underpaid. Some were paid as little as $5.06 per hour, Smith said, well below the state's minimum wage of $7.15 per hour.

Most of the underpaid grooms, hot walkers and watchman were given a weekly stipend, without regard for the numbers of hours worked, Smith said. In all, she said, the 88 underpaid workers are owed about $42,000.

Smith said she expects to find more violations as the department continues its investigation later this year at Belmont and Aqueduct. Smith said trainers will be served with bills for the amount they underpaid their workers after the investigation is completed.