Veitch Again Petitions Kentucky Court

Former Kentucky chief steward John Veitch does not accept a May ruling by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission that calls for a nine-month suspension for his handling of the 2010 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.

While the suspension already has been served, Veitch continues to contest the case believing he was unfairly sanctioned. 

In May the KHRC, in a move it said was pursuant to a Franklin Circuit Court request that Veitch have his suspension apportioned, decided to suspend him for nine months that already has been served. The decision said each of three remaining violations carried a three-month suspension.

In a petition filed June 9 in Franklin Circuit Court, Veitch's attorney, Tom Miller, argues that the KHRC did not meet the apportioning standard by giving three months for each individual violation. The latest petition argues that there was no effort by the KHRC to allocate the penalties to the individual violations.

The petition also notes that two of the five original violations Veitch was facing were thrown out by the Court of Appeals.

The ever-twisting case dates back to Veitch's handling as chief steward of the 2010 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) at Churchill in which grade I winner Life At Ten was allowed to compete even though jockey John Velazquez, in a nationally televised interview, raised concerns about how she was warming up before the race. Also, Life At Ten was not selected for post-race testing.

In May the KHRC said it did not revise the suspension from nine months because the three remaining violations "are intertwined and build upon one another."