NYRA racing secretary Doleshel fined $2,000

The New York Gaming Commission fined New York Racing Association racing secretary Keith Doleshel $2,000 for allowing the unauthorized participation of Soaring Mist in two races during the Aqueduct winter meet.

Soaring Mist, a 4-year-old daughter of Soaring Empire, raced in two maiden claiming races restricted to New York-breds though, at the time, she was not a registered New York-bred. On Feb. 19, in a maiden $25,000 claiming race, Soaring Mist finished seventh of nine. On March 25, she finished fifth of six in the same class of race.

At the time of those races, Soaring Mist was not a registered New York-bred because a signature sheet had not yet been completed, according to Najja Thompson, executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.

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“As a result of a clerical error, a horse was stamped as a New York-bred whose status was pending at the time,” said Pat McKenna, NYRA’s director of communications. “NYRA has instituted additional checks and balances to ensure these kinds of errors are not repeated moving forward.”

Soaring Mist, who was trained for those two races by Lolita Shivmangal for owner/breeder Matthew Kilstein, was disqualified from any purse money she earned in those two races.

Doleshel, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Racetrack Industry Program, was appointed racing secretary for Aqueduct in October 2019. He has since taken over the racing secretary duties for Saratoga and Belmont Park as well.