Veitch again seeks new steward's license in Kentucky

John Veitch, the former chief steward for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission who was dismissed from his position last year, has filed a motion with Franklin Circuit Court in Kentucky seeking a new steward’s license from the commission.

The motion, which is set for a hearing on June 20, states that the commission did not act on a license application Veitch submitted on May 14, but instead returned the license application and a $100 check Veitch sent as a licensing fee without comment. Veitch’s attorney, Tom Miller, wrote in the motion that the commission is required under state law to “provide notice to an applicant that the license has been issued and denied,” and the motion seeks to compel the commission to issue the license.

Dick Brown, a spokesperson for the commission, said that the commission planned to file a legal response to the motion on Wednesday morning, and that comments on Veitch’s suit would be limited to the legal response.

In the motion, Veitch claimed to have sought the license after being told that a steward’s position might be available at Ellis Park this summer. Since the license application was returned, “it is his understanding that the position for which he was being considered has now been filled.”

The motion states that Veitch was told by “representatives of KHRC” that he would need to have a job working as a racing official in order to be issued a license. The motion states that there is no such requirement under Kentucky licensing regulations.

Following Veitch’s dismissal last year, the commission approved a one-year suspension of Veitch’s license related to violations of racing rules pertaining to his handling of the Life At Ten incident at the 2010 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs. Veitch has appealed the ruling, which was stayed in April by the same judge who is scheduled to hear the motion on Wednesday, Thomas Wingate.