Riders fined, suspended over ads

Stewards at Churchill Downs have issued seven-day suspensions and $5,000 fines to jockeys Jeremy Rose, Corey Nakatani, and Kent Desormeaux for wearing advertisements during this year's Kentucky Derby in violation of state rules.

Chris Lasch, a Louisville attorney who represents the three jockeys, said he filed an appeal with the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority on Friday afternoon. Under Kentucky racing rules, the suspensions and fines will be stayed until the authority hears the appeal.

Kentucky racing rules require jockeys to submit advertising agreements for review to the authority, racetrack, and the owner of any horse who would be ridden by the jockey two days before the race in which ads would be worn.

Lasch said that the rule violated jockeys' rights to free speech.

The racing authority said that Nakatani and Desormeaux did not submit their agreements for review within the deadline. Churchill had refused to endorse Rose's agreement because the advertiser, an online gambling site, was a competitor to one of Churchill's business partners.