Assistant starter Ramon Alvarez has been ruled off for six months at Zia Park, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News, for open-handed slaps to the head of a filly in the starting gate.
The incident occurred during race four on Oct. 20, when Alvarez was responsible for Javys Brown Sugar. The Quarter Horse filly dropped her head several times in the gate, and Alvarez responded by hitting her face four times with his open hand.
“The bottom line is, this type of behavior against our horses will not be tolerated,” said Izzy Trejo, the executive director of the New Mexico Racing Commission, in an email to the TDN. “It's people like this in our industry that just pound that nail deeper into the coffin as others work diligently in trying to keep the industry afloat.”
Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.
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