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Prat Gets Seven-Day Suspension For Haskell Ride; Begins After Del Mar Meet Closes

Jockey Flavien Prat has been handed a seven-day suspension by the Monmouth Park board of stewards for his ride in the July 17 TVG.com Haskell Stakes that resulted in the disqualification of first-place finisher Hot Rod Charlie after Midnight Bourbon clipped heels in mid-stretch, unseating jockey Paco Lopez.

The suspension begins on Sept. 7, the day after the close of the Del Mar meet in California, where Prat is the runaway leader in the jockey standings. The suspension runs through Sept. 13.

Hot Rod Charlie, ridden by Prat, made a four-wide move into the stretch of the 1 1/8-mile Haskell. overtaking Midnight Bourbon to his immediate inside nearing the furlong pole. Hot Rod Charlie then drifted in to engage Mandaloun on the rail, but did so without sufficiently clearing Midnight Bourbon, who stumbled badly after Lopez appeared to attempt to swing his mount to the outside. Midnight Bourbon managed to stay on his feet, but Lopez was unseated as Hot Rod Charlie and Mandaloun raced as a team to the wire. Hot Rod Charlie won by a nose but was disqualified and placed last, giving Mandaloun the victory in the Grade 1 race and the winner's share of the $1,005,000 purse.

Neither Midnight Bourbon nor Lopez suffered serious injury and Lopez rode the following day.

The stewards conducted a hearing with Prat July 29 and issued the ruling on Sunday morning.

“Jockey Flavien Prat failed to make a reasonable effort to keep his horse from drifting in past the eighth-mile pole, allowing his horse to cross in front of Midnight Bourbon, which resulted in Midnight Bourbon clipping heels with Hot Rod Charlie, causing Midnight Bourbon to stumble badly, unseating his rider,” the ruling states.

“Mr. Prat's actions were in violation of NJAC 13:70-11.1 (crossing and weaving), which states: 'When clear a horse may be taken to any part of the course but no horse shall cross or weave in front of other horses in such a way as to impede them or constitute or cause interference or intimidation.'”

There was no immediate word on whether Prat would appeal the suspension.

Prat's suspension comes during the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos.

The post Prat Gets Seven-Day Suspension For Haskell Ride; Begins After Del Mar Meet Closes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Multiple Safety-Related Violations Results in 4 1/2-Month Suspension for Jockey Salles

After racking up three safety-related riding penalties–two of which caused racing accidents within the first four weeks of the meet–jockey Leo Salles has been suspended by the Woodbine Racetrack stewards through Dec. 5.

Salles, 27, a Brazilian native who has previously ridden in the Middle East, told the Toronto Sun that he accepted responsibility for the latest accident on July 11 and won't be appealing the ruling, although he did term the suspension as overly harsh.

“I think I deserve some days, but I just think it was extreme,” Salles told the Sun. “I apologized. I care about my [jockey] friends. I just think it is part of horse racing. We know this game is dangerous and this could happen to everybody.”

Salles's 2020 season at Woodbine also ended prematurely because he had to sit out a 45-day suspension issued for “endangering the health and safety of another jockey and his horse” in an Aug. 9 race.

On Woodbine's 2021 season-opening card June 12, Salles racked up suspensions in back-to-back races: One was for three days for causing interference. The other was for 10 days for causing a spill that sent Rafael Hernandez, last year's leading rider at Woodbine, to the hospital with a hairline vertebra fracture.

On July 11, Salles's 58-1 maiden mount appeared to be out of contention near the back of the pack when he angled the horse outside but not clear of a tiring rival on the far turn, causing heels to clip and Keveh Nicholls to be thrown to the track (Nicholls resumed riding later that week).

Salles has a 2-for-39 riding record at the current Woodbine meet. He told the Sun that this season has been a “nightmare” for him.

“I just think my riding style doesn't match with the rules they have up here,” Salles added.

The post Multiple Safety-Related Violations Results in 4 1/2-Month Suspension for Jockey Salles appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Gabriel Saez Given Exemption From Indiana Rule; Will Be Permitted To Ride In Stakes During 30-Day Suspension

Jockey Gabriel Saez, currently serving a 30-day suspension for what Indiana Horse Racing Commission stewards said was “extreme carelessness” in a June 17 race at Indiana Grand, has been given an exemption to ride in Saturday's Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes and other stakes races outside of Indiana.

The exemption would appear to be a violation of Indiana Horse Racing Commission rules stating that suspended jockeys may compete in designated races (stakes) “in the event a penalty for a riding violation is 10 days or less.”

However, Indiana Horse Racing Commission steward Dan Fick told the Paulick Report the commission's executive director has the authority to waive the rule and did so, permitting Saez to ride in specific designated races outside of Indiana.

The original ruling, dated June 18, was amended on July 2, stating: “Gabriel Saez, having reached a tentative agreement with the Commission Staff, may run in stakes races outside the state of Indiana while awaiting final approval of the settlement agreement by the Commission. Mr. Saez has agreed to add one day to the period of his suspension for each day that he participates in a stakes race. At this time, Mr. Saez has indicated to the commission that he wishes to participate in the following: The Met Mile (7/4/2020) and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (7/11/20210). Per the settlement agreement, the term of Mr. Saez's suspension is extended by two days to include July 22 and July 23, 2020.”

Section 71IAC7.5-7-5 “Designated Races” of the Indiana Administrative Code states: “In the event a penalty for a riding violation is 10 days or less, the jockey may compete in a designated race or races provided the jockey must be named at the time of entry. … For the purpose of this section, a designated race shall mean any stakes, futurity, or futurity trial in any state.”

According to the June 18 ruling, stewards found that Saez “did carelessly allow his mount Justtequilatalkin to alter course into the path of another horse without sufficient clearance, setting off a chain reaction in which the riders of three other horses were unseated from their mounts and resulting in Justtequilatalkin being disqualified from first place and placed last.”

The original suspension called for Saez to serve the 30 days from June 22 through July 21, inclusive.

Indiana Horse Racing Commission executive director Deena Pitman, who waived the rule, did not respond to a message from the Paulick Report.

The post Gabriel Saez Given Exemption From Indiana Rule; Will Be Permitted To Ride In Stakes During 30-Day Suspension appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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