State commission upholds Oaklawn DQ

The Arkansas Racing Commission on Saturday unanimously upheld the Oaklawn Park board of stewards' decision to disqualify Rated Fiesty from first to third in the $50,000 Dixie Belle Stakes on Jan. 26. The board also upheld a three-day suspension that stewards issued to jockey Luis Quinonez, who rode Rated Fiesty.

Larry Honeycutt, an attorney representing Bill Heiligbrodt, the owner of Rated Fiesty, said the action would probably be appealed in Garland County Circuit Court in Hot Springs, Ark.

Rated Fiesty led throughout and finished first by a neck in the Dixie Belle, but after the six-furlong race an objection against the winner concerning the stretch run was lodged by Chris Emigh, the rider of third-place finisher Palanka City, and William Becker, the assistant to Palanka City's trainer, Terry Gestes. There was also a stewards' inquiry.

According to the chart of the race, Rated Fiesty came in nearing the eighth pole, and Palanka City checked. The disqualification resulted in Kadira, the runner-up in the Dixie Belle, being placed first and Palanka City moved up to second.