West Virginia suspends 15 jockeys for providing falsified documents to ride at Mountaineer Park

Fifteen jockeys have been suspended in West Virginia after submitting “falsified” physical examination documents in order to ride at Mountaineer Park, according to rulings and officials of the state’s racing commission.

Fourteen of the riders were given 15-day suspensions. Another rider, Eddie Jurado, was suspended 210 days for providing the other riders with the falsified documents, according to Joe Moore, the executive director of the West Virginia Racing Commission.

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All jockeys who ride in West Virginia are required to provide an “up-to-date physical examination” document signed by a health-care professional in order to ride in the state. Moore said the rule pre-dates the coronavirus era.

Moore said the documents were provided for riders who irregularly ride at West Virginia tracks. Investigators began looking into the documents several months ago after one of the documents “appeared suspicious,” Moore said. The investigation is considered closed, Moore said.

The riders who received 15-day suspensions are Erik Barbaran, Fernando Becerra, Jose Davila, Luis Hernandez, Logan Holbrook, Jose Leon, Sonny Leon, Luan Machado, Odhair Mayta, Ricardo Meijas, Eder Martinez, Angel Serpa, Brandon Tapara, and Juan Velez.

Jurado, the rider who received the 210-day suspension, was also fined $2,500. A stewards’ ruling from Mountaineer says that he acknowledged producing the documents for the riders. Jurado, who has been riding since 2011, has 14 wins from 204 mounts this year, according to Equibase records.