West Virginia Racing Commission stewards have issued a 10-year suspension to jockey Marshall Mendez after ruling the rider possessed an illegal electrical device on Oct. 11, the night of the track’s West Virginia Breeders’ Classic program. Marcus Jody, Mendez’s agent, declined to comment, but said the 30-year-old jockey plans to appeal within the 20-day window provided by state law. The Paulick Report reported the 10-year suspension was signed by stewards on Oct. 23 after “testimony of witnesses” and “video evidence” was presented to the West Virginia Racing Commission. Mendez had been summarily suspended since Oct. 14, when the stewards delivered a ruling without a stated reason. The investigation is said to show Mendez violated Rule 47.7.f.2 of the West Virginia Legislative Rule, which took effect in July 2024. The West Virginia Racing Commission is not overseen by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, though it enforces the same 10-year penalty for first-time violations related to possession of illegal electrical devices. The West Virginia Racing Commission’s rule states that “no electrical or mechanical device or other expedient designed to increase or retard the speed of a horse, other than the riding crop approved by stewards, shall be possessed by anyone, or applied by anyone to the horse at any time on the grounds of the association during the meeting, whether in a race or otherwise.” As a result of his suspension, carried over from the summary suspension on Oct. 14, Mendez will be “denied access to and privileges of all grounds under the jurisdiction of the West Virginia Racing Commission.” He will become eligible for reinstatement in October 2035. On the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics card, featuring 10 statebred stakes offering just over $1 million in purses, Mendez won two $75,000 stakes. He was aboard 4-year-old gelding Time To Rock in the West Virginia Dash for Cash for trainer Stacey Viands and was on 7-year-old gelding No Change in the West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Onion Juice for Cynthia McKee. Mendez is currently second in the Charles Town jockey standings, having earned 71 victories in 419 starts this year. He has won nearly $1.6 million in purses at the track this year. In 2,978 career starts, 2,602 of which were made at Charles Town, he has earned 469 victories and $10.6 million in purse money. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.