The New York State Gaming Commission voted Monday to eliminate a rule that required the coupling of entries ridden by married jockeys, reports the Daily Racing Form.
The marriage coupling rule came under fire when jockeys Trevor McCarthy and Katie Davis, married in late 2020, began riding in New York last year. Mindy Coleman, general counsel for the Jockeys' Guild, spoke at a hearing last month to testify that the rule prevented both McCarthy and Davis “from fully and fairly engaging in their careers.”
Last year, despite supporting the elimination of the married jockey coupling rule, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill to eliminate it due to concerns that allowing legislature to rewrite racing regulations could create a dangerous precedent.
The NYSGC also voted to allow stewards to require jockeys to serve suspensions during the meet at which the violation occurred, in order “to discourage gamesmanship in the agency hearing process that has the effect of delaying a suspension until after the Saratoga meet.”
Finally, the commission adopted new wagering rules that will allow Pick 4 and Pick 5 pools to be designated for carryovers in the event that no ticket has all of the winners in the wagering sequence.
Read more at the Daily Racing Form.
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