Indiana Grand stewards suspend Didiel Osorio for alleged possession of electrical device
Stewards at Indiana Grand have suspended jockey Didiel Osorio indefinitely for the alleged possession of an electric device in the fifth race on Aug. 10 there.
Osorio rode Deep Explorer to victory in the $16,000 turf claiming race for trainer Donald Habeeb, who co-owns the horse with Michael J. Thomas and Jeff W. Allen. Deep Explorer took heavy betting just before the start of the race and won by two lengths as the 7-10 favorite.
Osorio was searched while weighing out and returning to the jockeys' room following the race, at which point the electrical device allegedly was discovered. Osorio was removed from his two remaining mounts on the card and summarily suspended pending a hearing set for the morning of Aug. 22, according to a stewards’ ruling. The hearing will cover only Osorio’s suspension and not the merits of the case, according to the ruling.
Electrical devices, also called batteries or buzzers, are small and often crudely constructed devices that can be concealed in a closed hand and used to shock horses as a means of encouraging a stronger finish.
Osorio, a 23-year-old native of Panama, has ridden only occasionally at Indiana Grand this season, and Deep Explorer was just his 21st mount of the meet. Osorio has recently been based primarily at Ellis Park in Kentucky, where he was third-leading rider as of this week. Osorio won 25 races during the 2015 Ellis meeting and was leading rider.