Alberta tribunal disqualifies Chief Know It All from Canadian Derby win

Alberta’s Horse Racing Appeal Tribunal disqualified Chief Know It All from first in last year’s Grade 3 Canadian Derby and placed him third behind Double Bear and Trooper John, who dead-heated for second in the 1 3/8-mile race last Aug. 19.

The tribunal ruled that “Double Bear was fouled, and the outcome of the race was altered.”

The incident occurred shortly after the horses entered the stretch when Chief Know It All, ridden by Rico Walcott, bumped Double Bear, who was trying to get back into the race from along the rail. After a claim of foul by the rider of Double Bear, Dane Nelson, and trainer Rod Cone, the stewards ruled that Double Bear caused his own problems when he hit the left hind of Chief Know It All.

Chief Know It All is trained by Robertino Diodoro, who was livid with the decision.

“It’s still a long ways from over,” he told Curtis Stock of the Edmonton Sun. “If they want to make a fool of horse racing, then we’ll just drag it on.”

Diodoro said they would appeal the tribunal’s decision to the Court of Queen’s Bench.

“They wonder why horse racing is in the toilet in Alberta, and it’s because of stupid stuff like this,” he said. “We’ll fight it until there is no money left except what goes to the lawyers.”

Tim Rycroft, the trainer of Trooper John, agreed with the ruling.

“I felt it was pretty blatant,” he said. “If you looked at the footprints, Double Bear’s left front foot was under the rail. Double Bear could have easily been knocked over the inside railing.”

With the decision, the owner of Trooper John, Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd., and Hal Veale, the owner of Double Bear, will each receive $60,000.

It is assumed Chief Know It All will receive the $9,000 third-place share of the purse, but the ruling said, “Chief Know It All is disqualified from the race.”