Weekly Stewards And Commissions Rulings, Feb. 7-13

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.

California

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 02/10/2023

Licensee: Lorenzo Ruiz, trainer

Penalty: $500 fine

Violation: Medication violation

Explainer: Trainer Lorenzo Ruiz, who started the horse Manitowish, who finished third in the second race on Sept. 10, 2022, at Del Mar Race Track is fined $500.00 and assessed one half (1/2) point in accordance with California Horse Racing Rule #1843.4(a) (Multiple Medication Violations – Expires 02/10/24) pursuant to California Horse Racing Board Rule #1887(a) (Trainer or Owner to Insure Condition of Horse) for violation of California Horse Racing Board Rule #1843(a)(b)(d) (Medication, Drugs and Other Substances and Rule #1843.1(b) (Prohibited Drug Substances – Phenylbutazone [Class 4]).

 

Track: Santa Anita

Date: 02/11/2023

Licensee: Diego Herrera, jockey

Penalty: Three-day suspension

Violation: Careless riding

Explainer: Jockey Diego Herrera, who rode Lasmuigh in the third race at Santa Anita Park on Feb. 10, 2023, is suspended for 3 racing days (Feb. 18, 19 and 20, 2023) for failure to make the proper effort to maintain a straight course in the stretch, causing interference. This constitutes a violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1699 (Riding Rules – careless riding).

 

NEW HISA STEWARDS RULINGS

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal, except for the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.

One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

 

Violations of Crop Rule

Aqueduct

Erick Fuentes–violation date February 9; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Manuel Franco–violation date February 9; $250 fine, raising wrist above the helmet

Jacqueline Anne Davis–violation date February 10; $250 fine, raising wrist above the helmet

 

Gulfstream Park

Jose Luis Ortiz–violation date February 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

 

Mahoning Valey Racecourse

Edilberto Dominguez–violation date February 7; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 9 strikes

 

Oaklawn Park

Rafael Jesus Bejarano–violation date February 10; $250 fine, raising wrist above helmet

 

Santa Anita

Armando Aguilar–violation date February 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

 

Tampa Bay Downs

Carlos Eduardo Rojas–violation date February 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes, on appeal stay requested

Isaac Manuel Jimenez–violation date February 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Carlos Eduardo Rojas–violation date February 11; Rojas is suspended 7 calendar days based on points accumulated for multiple violations and served from Saturday, March 11, 2023 through and including Friday, March 17, 2023. On appeal, stay requested

Melissa Iorio–violation date February 11; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

 

Turfway Park

Alvin Ortiz–violation date February 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

 

Turf Paradise

Enrique Garcia–violation date February 8; $500 fine and three-day suspension, 14 strikes

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Trainer Brian Lynch ‘Playing A Little Catch-Up’ With Big Championship Meet At Gulfstream

Trainer Brian Lynch's highly successful Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park continued Friday when Grace Darling graduated in style while making her U.S. debut in Race 5, a 7 ½-furlong maiden special weight race for 3-year-old fillies on turf for an $84,000 purse.

William Werner's Grace Darling, an Irish-bred daughter of Kingman, was Lynch's 10th winner from just 31 starters thus far during the Championship Meet.

“We had no turf at Churchill through the fall, so I'm good at sitting on horses and getting them fresh,” said Lynch, who saddled four winners from just 15 starters at the fall meeting in Louisville. “I'm just playing a little catch-up.”

Lynch, of course, has been a force at Gulfstream every season, especially in races on turf.

Grace Darling ($8.80) raced well off the pace while saving ground. She kicked in through the stretch, darting through a tight opening between horses and pulled away to an impressive score.

“She's a very unassuming little girl. She's actually a brown paper bag. She's very plain, but always in the morning, she showed talent from the first time we started working her,” Lynch said. “She'd pin her ears and fight.”

While Lynch has yet to decide when Grace Darling will race next, his goal for the Irish import is the Edgewood (G2) at Churchill Downs during Derby Week. Lynch-trained Gift List, who captured the 2021 Edgewood, finished fourth in the TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream Jan. 29.

Grace Darling raced twice in Ireland, finishing third in her second start in a strong maiden race at Naas last August.

“The horses she beat in Europe came back to win stakes. The form around her was very good. She was a great purchase. [Werner] is great owner and we're lucky to have her in our barn,” Lynch said.

Tyler Gaffalione guided Grace Darling to victory.

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C Z Rocket ‘Defying Father Time,’ Makes 9-Year-Old Debut In Friday Allowance At Oaklawn

Almost three years after being claimed for $40,000, C Z Rocket can surpass $2 million in career earnings with a victory in Friday's eighth race at Oaklawn, a $108,000 allowance sprint for older horses in Hot Springs, Ark.

C Z Rocket will be making his 9-year-old debut in the six-furlong race, which also attracted multiple stakes winner Necker Island and Grade 3 winner Morello.

“This was a good spot to get him started,” Miller said Monday afternoon. “I'm not sure if I've got him 100 percent cranked up, but it just made a lot of sense. We know he's run well over there and can't get an allowance race like that over here in California.”

C Z Rocket has bankrolled $1,711,344 since Southern California-based trainer Peter Miller, on behalf of owner Tom Kagele, claimed C Z Rocket for $40,000 out of a fifth-place finish in an April 30, 2020, sprint at Oaklawn.

In 18 starts for Miller, C Z Rocket has eight victories, five seconds and three thirds. C Z Rocket, after being claimed, set a 6 ½-furlong track record (1:15) in a July 2020 allowance race at Keeneland and captured two Grade 2 events later that year in Southern California. He added two more stakes victories in 2021 at Oaklawn – $200,000 Hot Springs and $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3). He was also runner-up in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) in 2020 and 2022. Both 6-furlong races were at Keeneland. C Z Rocket has won 12 of 35 starts overall and earned $1,952,641.

“He's something,” Miller said. “He's amazing, really amazing. Just his energy, his soundness, his ability – he's defying Father Time.”

C Z Rocket, a gelded son of the late City Zip, hasn't started since finishing second to future Eclipse Award winner Elite Power in the Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 5. C Z Rocket launched his 2022 campaign with a third-place finish in a January allowance sprint at Oaklawn. Prior to the 2022 Breeders' Cup Sprint, he finished second, beaten a nose, in the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) at 6 furlongs Oct. 1 at Santa Anita.

C Z Rocket has five published workouts at San Luis Rey Downs leading up to his 2023 debut, the last a 5-furlong move in 1:00.40 Feb. 7. C Z Rocket, the 7-5 program favorite, is scheduled to break from post 4 under eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana.

Miller said Friday's start could be C Z Rocket's bridge to races like the $200,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3) March 18 at Oaklawn and the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 15. Both races are 6 furlongs. A trip to the United Arab Emirates could also be in play with a strong performance, Miller said.

“We would, depending how he runs, consider all sorts of options – coming back to Oaklawn, perhaps, Dubai,” Miller said. “We've got nothing other than Friday on the schedule.”

Probable post time for Friday's eighth race is 4:10 p.m. (Central).

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Hall Of Fame Jockey Gary Stevens Returns To Southern California For Charity Hoops Game

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens was at Santa Anita Park's Clocker's Corner ahead of Thursday's 53rd annual Charity Basketball Game featuring Santa Anita jockeys versus Holy Angels Middle School. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at LaSalle High School in Pasadena, Calif.

Prior to game time, Stevens will be on hand to sign posters and other memorabilia along with fellow Hall of Famers Laffit Pincay Jr., Kent Desormeaux, Victor Espinoza, Mike Smith and John Velazquez. The autograph session starts at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event are used to support Holy Angels Athletics and the Permanently Disabled Jockey's Fund.

Stevens flew in from Hot Springs, Ark. on Wednesday for the game, which was canceled the past two years due to COVID.

“It was important for me to be here,” Stevens said. “I've been involved with the jockeys and Holy Angels games since 1985. All this time has gone by and now my daughter is actually in the eighth grade at Holy Angels and will graduate to LaSalle next year. To be here to help sign autographs and other things raises a lot of money for the school and helps the jockeys.”

Stevens added he was a regular player in the basketball game when still an active jockey.

“I wasn't a great shooter, but I could handle the ball and was pretty quick,” he noted.

Prior to his retirement from the saddle in 2018, Stevens won 5,187 races including three Kentucky Derby's, three Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes and 11 Breeders' Cup races.

Admission to the game is $5 and tickets can be purchased at the door.

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