Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

    Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

CALIFORNIA

Track: Santa Anita
Date: 05/01/2022
Licensee: Victor Espinoza, jockey
Penalty: $1,500 fine
Violation: Excessive use of the whip
Explainer: Jockey Victor Espinoza is fined $1,500 for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1688(b)(8)(d) (Use of Riding Crop–more than six times–second offense in the last 60 days) during the eleventh race (Charlie Whittingham Stakes) at Santa Anita Park on April 30, 2022.

FLORIDA
The following was reported on the Association for Racing Commissioners International's recent rulings website (hence the reporting delay).

Track: Gulfstream Park
Date: 03/15/2022
Licensee: Gerald Brooks, trainer
Penalty: $1,000 fine
Violation: Medication violation
Explainer: FINAL ORDER # 2022-001778 – f.s. 550.2415 VIOLATION = XYLAZINE. $1000 FINE IMPOSED AND DUE 4/14/22. “REGAL CHANT”

Track: Gulfstream Park
Date: 04/14/2022
Licensee: Gerald Brooks, trainer
Penalty: N/A
Violation: Appeal of medication violation
Explainer:  RE: 2022-GP-20 – Appeal Submitted 4/14/2022 – NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL filed with First DCA.

NEW YORK

Track: Belmont Park
Date: 04/28/2022
Licensee: Keith Doleshel, trainer
Penalty: $2,000 fine
Violation: Unauthorized participation of horse
Explainer: Mr. Keith Doleshel is hereby fined the sum of two thousand ($2,000) dollars for allowing the unauthorized participation of Horse (Soaring Mist) on February 19th 2022 race 9 and again on March 25th 2022 race 1.

Track: Belmont Park
Date: 04/28/2022
Licensee: Michael Miceli, owner-trainer-exercise rider
Penalty: Thirty-day suspension and $2,500 fine
Violation: Joint injection too close to a race, according to the DRF
Explainer: Mr. Michael Miceli is hereby suspended thirty (30) calendar days May 8th 2022 through June 6th 2022 inclusive and fined the sum of two thousand five hundred ($2,500) dollars, this for failing to follow New York State Gaming Commission code rules and regulations pertaining to Horse Cover Photo which raced on March 13th 2022. The above matter has been referred to the commission. Ordered that during your period of suspension , you shall not directly or indirectly participate in New York State pari-mutuel horse racing. You are denied the privilages and use of the grounds for all racetracks, you are forbidden to participate in any share of purses or other payment. Every horse is denied the privilages of the grounds and shall not participate in pari-mutuel racing in New York State, that (a) is owned or trained by you, or by any individuals who serves as your agent or employee during your suspension; or (b) for which you during your suspension are directly or indirectly with training, including any arrangements to care for, train, enter, race, invoice, collect fees or other payments, manage funds, employ or insure workers, provide advise or other information or otherwise assist with any aspect of the training of such horses.

Read more about the issue here.

Track: Belmont Park
Date: 04/30/2022
Licensee: John Servis, trainer
Penalty: $500 fine
Violation: Administrative error necessitating scratch
Explainer: Mr. John T. Servis has been fined the sum of five hundred $500 dollars for failing to tend to business in a proper manner necessitating a late scratch at Belmont Park in the tenth race on April 30th 2022.

KENTUCKY
The following rulings were not posted on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission website in time for inclusion last week.

Track: Keeneland
Date: 04/20/2022
Licensee: Rafael Bejarano, jockey
Penalty: $500 fine
Violation: Excessive use of the whip
Explainer: After waiving his right to a hearing before the Board of Stewards, Rafael Bejarano, who rode Injunction in the seventh race at Keeneland on April 16, 2022 was found to have violated the crop regulation. This being his first offense, Mr. Bejarano was given the option and chose to pay a fine. Rafael Bejarano is hereby fined $500 for his improper use of the crop by exceeding the allowable use in the overhand manner.

Track: Keeneland
Date: 04/23/2022
Licensee: Joe J. Talamo, jockey
Penalty: $500 fine
Violation: Excessive use of the whip
Explainer: After a hearing before the Board of Stewards, Joe J. Talamo, who rode Lapis Lazuli in the eighth race at Keeneland on April 20, 2022 was found to have violated the crop regulation (2nd offense). Joe J. Talamo is hereby fined $500 for his improper use of the crop by exceeding the allowable use in the overhand manner.

Track: Keeneland
Date: 04/23/2022
Licensee: Rafael Bejarano, jockey
Penalty: $500 fine
Violation: Excessive use of the whip
Explainer: After a hearing before the Board of Stewards, Rafael Bejarano, who rode Notable Exception in the sixth race at Keeneland on April 20, 2022 was found to have violated the crop regulation (2nd offense). Rafael Bejarano is hereby fined $500 for his improper use of the crop by exceeding the allowable use in the overhand manner.

Track: Keeneland
Date: 04/23/2022
Licensee: Jesus Castanon, jockey
Penalty: Three-day suspension
Violation: Excessive use of the whip
Explainer: After waiving his right to a hearing before the Board of Stewards, Jesus L. Castanon, who rode Iron Lady Away in the fifth race at Keeneland on April 22, 2022 was found to have violated the crop regulation. This being his first offense, Mr. Castanon was given the option and chose to serve a suspension. Jesus L. Castanon is hereby suspended 3 racing days, April 24, April 27, and April 28, 2022 for his improper use of the crop by exceeding the allowable use in the overhand manner.

Track: Keeneland
Date: 04/23/2022
Licensee: Rene Diaz, jockey
Penalty: $500 fine
Violation: Excessive use of the whip
Explainer: After waiving his right to a hearing before the Board of Stewards, Rene Diaz, who rode Pistol in the ninth race at Keeneland on April 21, 2022 was found to have violated the crop regulation. This being his first offense, Mr. Diaz was given the option and chose to pay a fine. Rene Diaz is hereby fined $500 for his improper use of the crop by exceeding the allowable use in the overhand manner.

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Launched in 2018, the challenge is open to local trainers with 20 or fewer horses nationwide.

The top-eight trainers in the contest shared a prize pool of $80,000, with Kantarmaci earning the first-place prize of $16,000. It was the second time he's won the “Under 20s Claiming Challenge” at a Belmont meet, with the first coming in the 2019 spring/summer edition.

Kantarmaci tallied 85 points, besting second-place finisher Oscar Barrera, III [67.5 points, $14,000] during the 48-day meet that commenced April 22 and concluded July 11. Antonio Arriaga finished third with 47 points [$12,000], while Michael Miceli was fourth with 30 [$11,000.] Rounding out the top-eight were Randi Persaud [28.5 points, $9,000], Amira Chichakly [27.5 points, $7,000], Robert Klesaris [26.5 points, $6,000] and John Toscano [25 points, $5,000.]

“It feels great. We did really well the last couple of weeks,” Kantarmaci. “In the beginning of the meet, we ran a lot of horses maybe too high a level and high claiming prices, so we were having a hard time getting points. But the last week, we had a lot of main-track horses, and that helped to open up the point distances.”

For the 2021 Belmont spring/summer, Kantarmaci sent out 50 starters, compiling a 2-9-9 record with earnings of $299,018. He saddled a pair of winners of $45,000 claiming tilts, with Turn of Events on June 27 and Wicked Indeed on July 9.

“We are on the right track with claiming horses,” Kantarmaci said. “Hopefully, we can continue the success at Saratoga. It's a really good program. In the future, if it keeps going, I think it'll be hard for anyone to win it five times in a row like this. It's nice to see my name at the top.”

To retain eligibility, there can be no more than 20 horses on a trainer's roster at any given time, although a trainer's stable may grow above 20 horses through claiming activity. But only roster horses can earn points. A trainer may replace a claimed horse who was on their roster with another claimed horse. After a horse is claimed, it will be added to the trainer's roster only at the trainer's request.

Horses in for a tag in an allowance optional claiming race will qualify for contest points. Points are not earned in maiden, allowance, starter allowance or stakes races.

A horse that ends up on the stewards' list for poor performance [defeated 25 or more lengths] will not earn the trainer points for that race. Horses that are running for 50 percent or less of the claiming price from their most recent start will only be eligible to earn 50 percent of the typical points for that race.

In addition, horses can only earn contest points for two races within a given 30-day time period. A horse may enter in additional races during that timeframe but will not earn contest points for those additional races.

For more information, please contact the racing office at 718-659-4241.

Contest Point Structure:

Dirt Races – All claiming races for winners, including horses in for an optional tag:
1st Place – 6 points
2nd Place – 5 points
3rd Place – 4 points
4th Place – 3 points
5th Place – 2 points

Turf Races- All claiming races for winners, including horses in for an optional tag
1st Place – 5 points
2nd Place – 4 points
3rd Place – 3 points
4th Place – 2 points
5th Place – 1 point

Past winners of the Under 20s Claiming Challenge:
2021 Belmont spring/summer – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2020-21 Aqueduct winter – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2019-20 Aqueduct winter – Eddie Barker/Mertkan Kantarmaci (tie)
2019 Belmont spring/summer – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2018-19 Aqueduct winter – Mertkan Kantarmaci
2018 Belmont spring/summer – Eddie Barker

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The 1 1/16-mile Caesar's Wish for fillies and mares 3 and up was the third of four stakes worth $375,000 in purses on the Independence Day holiday program and part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Favored at 2-1 in a field of seven, Mrs. Orb ($6.20) rated in fourth under jockey Horacio Karamanos as multiple stakes winner Artful Splatter was eager to go on from Post 3 and led through fractions of :23.32 and :46.63 seconds, with Midwest shipper His Glory in closest pursuit.

Trolley Ride, who swept into contention from well back on the far outside to challenge the leaders and was followed by Mrs. Orb, who dogged Trolley Ride into deep stretch before edging clear. Trolley Ride was 2 ½ lengths clear of Sweet Sammi D in third, followed by Artful Splatter, His Glory, Suggestive Honor and Gracetown. Landing Zone was scratched.

“She's done that before. Usually she's kind of a position-type mare, and today she was a little farther back. But she can come from that far back. It's just how the race unfolds for her,” Miceli said.

“She's a tough gal and not the easiest to train, but you don't mind when they can run,” he added. “She's a little temperamental and you've just kind of got to cater to her needs. If you do that, it goes a long way.”

The Caesar's Wish debuted in 1978 at old Bowie Race Course and was held at both Pimlico and Laurel before it was renamed the Beyond the Wire for 2018. It honors the Maryland-bred mare that won 11 of 16 starts over two seasons including the 1978 Grade 1 Mother Goose and Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan and 1977 Grade 2 Demoiselle and Grade 3 Villager. Her winning time in the Mother Goose broke Hall of Famer Ruffian's stakes record and stood until 1994.

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Mrs. Orb, who was the runner-up in five consecutive stakes appearances, posted a one-length score, marking her first victory in seven starts dating to the Bay Ridge in December 2019.

Owned by Ruggeri Stable, Richard Coburn, Script R Farm and Michael Miceli, the trainer, Mrs. Orb broke last under jockey Dylan Davis but advanced to third as Prairie Fire led the four-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.16 seconds and the half in 47.95 on the muddy and sealed main track.

All four horses stayed in contention out of the turn, with Davis tipping his charge outside of rivals for the stretch run. Mrs. Orb pressed on from the outside at the top of the stretch, dueling Sharp Starr to her immediate inside before gaining separation and completing the seven-furlong course in a final time of 1:24.54.

“She's a hard-trying filly,” Davis said. “I'm just happy that I could get to win with her again. If that's her last race, that's very nice and Mike has done a good job with her throughout her career. I'm just happy to be aboard her and get the job done today.

“I think with the seven-eighths, she had a little more kick to finish to the wire than when she was stretching out,” he added.

Off at the longest shot on the board at 5-1, Mrs. Orb returned $12.20 on a $2 win wager. The 6-year-old Orb mare, bred by Rhapsody Farm, improved her career earnings to $439.520.

“She ran a big race,” Miceli said. “She sat off the pace nicely, dragged Dylan [Davis] up to the leaders and when he asked her to run, she delivered. “She got floated wide, but she dug in nicely. She's tough and she always delivers. I was glad she got over the seconditis.”

The victory, which improved her career ledger to 6-8-3 in 23 starts, could be the finale to a career that started in 2018. Miceli said she is catalogued at Keeneland's Horses of All Ages Sale on January 11.

“That's still the intention. Things can always change, but right now that's still on,” Miceli said.”

Sharp Starr, owned by Barry Schwartz and trained by Horacio DePaz, was three lengths clear of Espresso Shot for second. Prairie Fire was fourth.

“She handled the track fine,” said Sharp Starr jockey Trevor McCarthy. “She sat off the slow pace and was comfortable. She gave me a good kick, but we just got outrun today. She was the big favorite but I have no excuses. The other mare was just a little bit better today.”

Timely Tradition and Sadie Lady scratched.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 12:50 p.m. Eastern.

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