Alvarado appeals Kentucky Derby whip-violation fine, suspension

Jockey Junior Alvarado has appealed the $62,000 fine and two-day suspension he was issued after the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority concluded he violated its whipping rule during his winning ride on Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby, according to HISA records.

The fine and suspension have been stayed as a result of the appeal, according to records on HISA’s website.

Alvarado had previously said he was considering an appeal because he believed Kentucky’s stewards had misinterpreted two aggressive waves of the whip as actual strikes of the horse, who won the Derby by 1 1/2 lengths under a sustained drive. The appeal will be heard by a three-person panel appointed by HISA from its existing pool of adjudicators.

Under HISA’s rules, a horse can only be struck six times during a race unless the horse or rider is in danger. The penalties for one to three strikes over the limit is a $250 fine or 10 percent of the rider’s earnings, whichever is greater.

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In Alvarado’s case, his earnings from the Derby were $310,000, but the penalty schedule also calls for doubling the fine if a rider has been issued a previous penalty for a violation of the whip rule during the previous 180 days. Alvarado was fined late last year for a ride on Dec. 1 at Churchill Downs.

HISA has submitted new rules to its federal overseer, the FTC, that would shorten that time frame to 90 days, as part of a larger reworking of the penalty schedule negotiated with riders. Lisa Lazarus, the chief executive officer of HISA, said on a recent podcast that riders who were issued penalties after the rule change was submitted would be subjected to the new rule as long as it passes, meaning Alvarado’s fine will likely be reduced to $31,000 even if he loses the appeal.

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