A disruption in the system of checks and balances between racing officials is to blame for a strange incident at Golden Gate Fields Sept. 7 in which the incorrect order of finish was posted and made official for roughly 15 minutes before being corrected.
Initially, stewards posted the order as 5-2-3-4, when in reality it should have been 5-3-2-4, the difference lying in a photo for second place between #2 Blues Rapper and #3 Hold Me Close. A note from steward Richard Lewis published on the California Horse Racing Board website stated Lewis “spoke with the placing judges, who called the 2 as the place horse and 3 as show finisher. I misread the photo picture as well.”
Lewis admitted he failed to have fellow stewards Will Meyers and Dennis Nevin review the photo. At the same time as the outriders gave Lewis the “all clear” signal after the race, Meyers was telling Nevin to pull #5 Herdsman and #2 Blues Rapper (the second betting choice) for testing. As Lewis was listening to Meyers' suggestions on test horses, he looked at the tote board, which indicated the 5 and 2 were the top two finishers, and gave the go-ahead to make the race official.
Nevin had been checking with Equibase chartcallers to see if the #4 Arc Nation, who finished last in the four-horse field, had officially been eased when he heard the photo operator reading out the finish. When he realized the mistake, he immediately notified Lewis and Meyers and contacted the mutuels department to put a hold on the system until the issue could be sorted out.
According to Golden Gate announcer Matt Dinerman, he was instructed to let the public know horseplayers who had the correct order of finish would be paid out for exactas, trifectas and place wagers.
California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) spokesman Mike Marten reported that $528.40 was paid out on the incorrect order of finish to horseplayers cashing tickets in person at California brick and mortar betting locations before the error was caught. In the case of advance deposit wagering (ADW) monies, one company told Marten ADWs were responsible for removing incorrectly-cashed amounts from customers' accounts.
It remains unclear whether Lewis could face disciplinary action for the error.
“After gathering all of the information the CHRB will determine whether any action is appropriate with respect to the racing officials involved,” Marten said.
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