NY Fines Velazquez for Whip Misuse

Regulators in New York have fined jockey John Velazquez for misusing his riding crop on a horse in a race earlier this year at Belmont Park.

 

While fining Velasquez $500, the New York State Gaming Commission's board cleared jockey Jose Lezcano of a steward's claim that he violated two rules for allegedly striking a horse with his goggles during a June race at Belmont.

 

The agency did not immediately release hearing officers' reports in either case so various details of the allegations are sketchy.

 

The case involving Velazquez goes back to July 4 when he rode Tonalist in the grade II Suburban Handicap at Belmont. A racing steward accused him of inappropriate use of his whip on the horse, a claim that was helped in October by a state hearing officer, who found that the allegation was based on "substantial evidence," the gaming commission said Nov. 23. The board voted 5-0 in favor of the fine.

 

Andrew Mollica, an attorney who represents Velazquez, said it is common for a riding crop to accidentally come into contact with a horse's head or ear during a race. "Our contention is it happens in every race. Why do you pick this one out?" said Mollica, who said that he had not yet been given access to the hearing officer's final report in the matter.

 

"He never intended to make contact with Tonalist's head or ears," Mollica said of his client.

 

In the matter of Lezcano, a steward claimed the jockey used his goggles to strike Flag On the Play in the fourth race at Belmont on June 11. The gaming commission, in a 5-0 vote, sided with a hearing officer who called the allegation "arbitrary and capricious" and said the matter should be dropped without any sanction.

 

Mollica, a Long Island lawyer who also represented Lezcano, said the board's ruling is "a great win because jockeys need to know what the rules are and aren't. In this case there was no rule."

 

Mollica said the Lezcano had dropped his riding crop during the race so he turned to using a pair of goggles to urge the horse on. 

 

"I'd call it admirable. ... And it's happened many times before. There are no rules against it, but the facts were very clear. Others have done the same thing in the past and didn't get fined," Mollica said.