California board may consider enhanced whip-use penalties

The California Horse Racing Board may vote on enhanced penalties for excessive whip use at a teleconference meeting Wednesday, the second time in as many months the issue has come before the board.

In March, the racing board voted 4-3 to table the matter for future discussion. Wednesday’s meeting is the first opportunity to re-address the issue.

Since October, California jockeys have been limited to six underhanded strikes in a race and are allowed two strikes before pausing to allow their mounts to respond.

Under the proposed rule changes, a jockey would be fined a minimum of $500 and face a possible three-day suspension for violations. The current sanctions are a maximum fine of $1,000 and possible three-day suspension. The proposed rule does not set a maximum fine and states that tougher penalties can be issued for “egregious or intentional” violations.

Egregious violations could include riders who are repeat offenders, instances in which a rider greatly exceeds the allowed number of strikes, or when a rider uses the whip in an overhanded motion, according to racing board documents.

In addition, violations that occur in trial races would lead to the jockey being suspended from a race final, a scenario more likely to arise in top Quarter Horse races.

One proposed rule change introduced in March is not part of the proposed language to be discussed on Wednesday: a clause that would penalize jockeys 50 percent of earnings for violations that occur in graded stakes when the rider’s mount finishes among the top three positions.

In March, racing board chairman Greg Ferraro described the financial penalties in graded stakes “as a little harsh.”

Retired Hall of Fame jockey and racing board commissioner Alex Solis criticized the proposed changes in their entirety last month and supported a motion to table the issue, which passed in a narrow vote. Solis described the financial penalties in graded stakes as “unfair.”

Since the new rules began Oct. 1, stewards have fined jockeys $28,300 for violations occurring on the daytime Southern California Thoroughbred circuit at Del Mar, Los Alamitos and Santa Anita. At the current Santa Anita meeting, which began on Dec. 26, there have been 32 rulings against riders, involving $17,750 in fines and seven three-day penalties for violations.