Stewards Find No Violations in Blown Lead at Fort Erie

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has concluded their review of the August 4 race, and Fort Erie Race Track officials are pleased with the results which found no wrongdoing from anyone involved.

"Maintaining the integrity of our races is our highest priority here at Fort Erie Race Track," said general manager Drew Cady. "Those wagering on our races need confidence that our product is genuine, and the findings of this review serve to reinforce that confidence."

During the fourth race on August 4, veteran jockey Kirk Johnson was overtaken late down the stretch after initially putting up a big lead. While this led some viewers to question the race result, the review process found that Johnson was doing everything he could to persevere through the wire and bring the horse, Princess O Denmark, across the finish line as quickly and safely as possible. 

"Horse racing is a complex sport, and there's often more than meets the eye," said Cady. "That particular horse is known to break hard out the gate, and it simply didn't have enough gas left in the tank to hold on for the win. Despite that, Johnson did everything that was asked of him by the trainer and turned in a solid ride to the finish."

Since that race, the AGCO has interviewed both the jockey and the trainer, veterinarians working that day, and previous trainers who worked with the horse. The exhaustive investigation also involved a review of previous runs by Princess O Denmark, which found she ran in a similar fashion in other races; breaking fast but fading towards the finish. The Canadian Pari-mutuel Agency (CPMA) was also consulted and confirmed that there were no irregular betting patterns with respect to the race in question. 

According to the AGCO, "It is clear that Princess O Denmark presented certain challenges to her rider that resulted in an unusual trip that caught the attention of Race Officials and the wagering public alike." Despite looking over his shoulder down the stretch, the AGCO found that Johnson was merely assessing the situation in order to finish the race as best he could. "The [AGCO] Stewards have accepted Mr. Johnson's explanation that, given the challenges of riding this particular filly, he was judging his lead so he could try to ration her speed to the wire as much as possible. In consideration of all available information, the AGCO Stewards are satisfied that Mr. Johnson and the connections had every intention of winning Race 4 on August 4th, 2025, and that there were no violations of the rules of racing."

The full report from the AGCO can be found on the track's website under the AGCO Reports section. 

"We would like to thank the AGCO for their thorough investigation into this matter," said Cady. "We are always happy to cooperate fully with the AGCO on any situation where the integrity of our sport is called into question, so that we can continue to produce a product that bettors can wager on with confidence."