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Zia Assistant Starter Sees License Revoked, Becomes Outrider At The Track

The Zia Park assistant starter who made headlines last week for commission action against his license is working at the racetrack in a different capacity, stewards confirmed Wednesday. Assistant starter Ramon Alvarez received notice of a disciplinary hearing in front of the stewards after he allegedly hit a Quarter Horse filly in the face four times with an open hand ahead of the fourth race on Oct. 20.

Previous reports, including one in this publication, indicated Alvarez had been ruled off for six months for the behavior. Steward Ron Walker clarified Wednesday that was inaccurate and Alvarez has neither been “ruled off” nor suspended. New Mexico law requires a ten-day notice to a licensee ahead of a stewards' hearing. Walker said Alvarez waived his right to notice and to a hearing on stewards' intent to revoke his assistant starter's license for six months, which enabled him to be removed from the starting gate. He did not waive his right to a hearing to determine whether he will face disciplinary measures for the incident.

A ruling issued Nov. 2 stated the stewards had rescinded Alvarez's one-year assistant starter's license for six months beginning Nov. 2 and ending May 1.

The ruling was signed by two of the three stewards. Walker said Alvarez is related to one of the other stewards, whom Walker did not identify. Walker said the steward in question recused himself from the proceedings regarding Alvarez.

As he awaits his hearing on Nov. 23, Alvarez is permitted to continue using his license as an outrider, which he had prior to the gate incident.

Walker said Alvarez had been working on the gate temporarily at the time of the Oct. 20 incident while Zia was in search of someone to fill the position of assistant starter permanently. He had been working at the gate for a couple of days prior to the incident in question.

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Assistant Starter Handed Six-Month Ban By Zia Park Stewards

Assistant starter Ramon Alvarez has been ruled off for six months at Zia Park, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News, for open-handed slaps to the head of a filly in the starting gate.

The incident occurred during race four on Oct. 20, when Alvarez was responsible for Javys Brown Sugar. The Quarter Horse filly dropped her head several times in the gate, and Alvarez responded by hitting her face four times with his open hand.

“The bottom line is, this type of behavior against our horses will not be tolerated,” said Izzy Trejo, the executive director of the New Mexico Racing Commission, in an email to the TDN. “It's people like this in our industry that just pound that nail deeper into the coffin as others work diligently in trying to keep the industry afloat.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Zia Assistant Starter Barred Six Months For Slapping Filly’s Head

An assistant starter at Zia Park has been ruled off by the track’s stewards for six months for slapping a filly in the head four times while the animal was locked in the gate prior to a race going off.

Ramon Alvarez has not appealed the ban, which went into effect Nov. 2 and runs through May 1, 2021, according to Izzy Trejo, the executive director of the New Mexico Racing Commission.

The abuse took place Oct. 20 during a mixed-meet card of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses at Zia. Alvarez was in the outermost stall attempting to control Javys Brown Sugar prior to Race 4, a 400-yard Quarter Horse trial for New Mexico-bred 3-year-olds.

Javys Brown Sugar dropped her head several times and Alvarez’s reaction was to correct her with four open-handed slaps to the head, Trejo explained in an email to TDN.

Trejo acknowledged that the incident is difficult to see on the pan and head-on replays, but he added that the stewards utilized a cross-view gate angle from the outside post pointing toward the inside to get a definitive look at Alvarez delivering the blows.

After being hit, Javys Brown Sugar was allowed to start and ran third at 39-1 odds.

“The bottom line is, this type of behavior against our horses will not be tolerated,” Trejo wrote. “It’s people like this in our industry that just pound that nail deeper into the coffin as others work diligently in trying to keep the industry afloat.”

The post Zia Assistant Starter Barred Six Months For Slapping Filly’s Head appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Mixed Meet At Zia Park Reduced To 36 Race Dates, Scheduled To Begin On Oct. 5

With the impact of COVID-19 sparing few in the racing industry, including Zia Park, the New Mexico oval originally scheduled to commence its live meet on Sept. 21 will now kick off its racing season on Monday, Oct. 5. Due to significantly reduced purse funds resulting from an ongoing shutdown of Zia Park's casino operation starting on March 16, the New Mexico Racing Commission approved a reduction in the track's live racing calendar from 54 to 36 dates with the meet running through Wednesday, Dec. 23.

The track will now operate on a three day a week schedule with live racing conducted on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with a 12:00 P.M. (Mountain) post time. Currently, on-track spectators, including simulcasting, will not be permitted but will be evaluated in the future. In the event casino operations resume by Nov. 1, Zia Park will add one racing date to each of the final four weeks of its 2020 season. Overnight purses are projected to be approximately $95,000 per day with Quarter Horse races comprising the first four races of each card with the final six featuring Thoroughbreds.

Due to the consolidated racing calendar and limited purse funds, the Hobbs America Futurity and Derby Quarter Horse stakes have been cancelled for 2020 with all nomination fees for those events to be refunded. The stakes schedule will also be abbreviated and feature only state bred races – with the annual New Mexico Classics to be raced over two days – Monday, Nov. 9 for Quarter Horses and Wednesday, Nov. 11 for Thoroughbreds. Horsemen are reminded that registration certificates are due to the racing office by 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 in order to establish a “zero date” for entries.

“This year has been a roller coaster to date and while our 2020 season will be shortened, we are glad to be able to provide the New Mexico racing industry with a needed bridge in terms of racing opportunities and stabling,” said Zia Park Vice President and General Manager Bill Belcher.

The first condition book covering the first 12 race dates (through Oct. 28) and both horsemen and racing participants are encouraged to go to www.ziaparkcasino.com/racing for safety protocols to be implemented for the upcoming race meet.

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