Nearly a week after the controversial disqualification of Brick Ambush from second to last place in the Dec.16 Great White Way division of the $500,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes, the New York State Gaming Commission issued a statement attempting to justify the actions of the three stewards working at Aqueduct racetrack that day.
The statement reads in full:
“Upon the conclusion of the ninth race at Aqueduct on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, the stewards commenced an inquiry entirely on their own volition. The stewards officiating the race were Braulio Baeza, Jr. (N.Y.S. Gaming Commission), Juan Dominguez (New York Racing Association, Inc.) and Samantha Randazzo (The Jockey Club).
“The three stewards' attention was focused on the field as it arrived near the quarter pole, where several horses converged and were in close contact. As evident in the below/attached screenshots, horse Brick Ambush (#12), ridden by Junior Alvarado, came up on three horses that were crowded together – Antonio of Venice (#1) ridden by Manuel Franco, The Big Torpedo (#7) ridden by Javier Castellano, and Solo's Fury (#11), ridden by Jose Lezcano – and made disruptive contact. The stewards were concerned that Castellano's contact with the other horses and their riders could have impacted the results of the race.
“During their 12-minute review, the stewards examined six separate camera views of the area of concern and conducted telephone interviews with Franco, Castellano, Lezcano, and Alvarado.
“After review of the footage and interviews with the jockeys, the stewards unanimously concluded that Alvarado's movement of Brick Ambush to the inside at quarter pole caused a chain reaction that impacted the race. Accordingly, the stewards disqualified Brick Ambush for interference.
“The following morning, all four jockeys were required to participate in a film review of the race and discussed the event with all three stewards. At the conclusion of the review, state steward Baeza issued a three-day careless riding suspension to Mr. Alvarado, to be effective Jan. 1 through Jan. 5, 2024. Mr. Alvarado accepted the penalty and declined to appeal.
“Interested parties may visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/replays to watch the race replay. Please note that Alvarado is wearing white.” (Editor's note: when the statement and photos were first issued, a photo identifying the jockeys had Alvarado aboard The Big Torpedo instead of Brick Ambush.)
The official Equibase chart footnotes and a review of the video tells a different story. According to Equibase, the trouble began when eventual winner Antonio of Venice “was blocked nearing the quarter pole, came out and bumped with a rival and then took up leaving the bend…”
The video would appear to show three horses across the track turning into the stretch: Heavyweight Champs on the rail, Solo's Fury in between horses, and Brick Ambush to the outside. When Antonio of Venice came out from behind Heavyweight Champs he attempted to squeeze between Heavyweight Champs and Solo's Fury, which started a chain-reaction of bumping, including Solo's Fury hitting the hind quarters of Brick Ambush, which turned him inward slightly. Behind them was The Big Torpedo, who had to check hard before recovering to finish well to be fourth.
Mike Sellitto, agent for Alvarado said he's never seen a worse call in the 30 years he's been in the business.
“I know they DQed the wrong horse,” Sellitto said. “I'm 100 percent positive. This is cut and dried. (Alvarado) put pressure on nobody.”
Sellitto said he's heard from countless people, including Hall of Fame jockeys and trainers. “You wouldn't believe some of the people who called me,” he said. “They all are in disbelief.”
Nevertheless, after the owners of Brick Ambush and The Big Torpedo were denied an appeal by the New York State Gaming Commission, he said he and Alvarado opted not to appeal the three-day suspension, fearing Baeza would add days to the penalty.
“There's nothing I can do,” Sellitto said. “I've got to respect their decision, but I don't agree with it.”
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