LEXINGTON, Ky. – Members of The Jockeys’ Guild board of directors are not satisfied with rules limiting the use of the crop that were approved Tuesday by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, contending that the rules would endanger riders and horses because of a limitation on the number of strikes that jockeys could apply to a horse. John Velazquez, the Hall of Fame rider and co-chairman of The Jockeys’ Guild, said late Tuesday that the rules would endanger riders and horses by limiting the number of times that jockeys can use the whip if riders are faced with close-quarters incidents in the turn that would inhibit their ability to encourage a horse in the stretch. :: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more. “If we have trouble going into the turn, we are using three strikes there and we can’t use them in the stretch,” Velazquez said. “I don’t think that looks good for the bettors to see us stop on a horse.” On Tuesday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved a set of rules that would limit riders to six strikes on a horse after the first furlong is run. The rules mandate that a jockey could not use more than two strikes in a row without giving the horse time to respond. Members of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved the rules on a voice vote Tuesday. On Monday, following a two-hour discussion of the rules in front of two committees of the KHRC, the rules were approved as proposed after a negotiation that was said to be a compromise between the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, a group of racing organizations, and representatives of the guild. Velazquez said Tuesday that the compromise was one-sided, and that the guild had hoped to further argue its case during the KHRC meeting on Tuesday. But guild officials were unable to make those arguments during the Tuesday meeting. The vote to approve the rules was unanimous, while conducted on a teleconference due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The TSC, which includes some of the most influential organizations in racing, including Churchill Downs Inc. and Keeneland, has identified the use of the crop as a priority among more than a dozen changes to racing rules it is seeking. The group has argued that pressure from animal-welfare and animal-rights organizations has made limitations on the use of the whip a necessity to counter criticism of the sport. Velazquez said Tuesday night that he agrees that changes to whip use are necessary, but not at the expense of the safety of riders. The rules approved Tuesday also include hefty fines for riders who violate the regulations, including the loss of the riders’ share of the purse and suspensions. “We can’t be going into the stretch worried about whether we can control a horse if we need to,” Velazquez said. “I can’t be ready to do something I can’t control.”