Jockeys Hit With Large Fines for Excessive Whipping

Weekend rulings at two Midwest tracks have imposed two of the largest fines of the year for excessive whipping, and in both cases the stewards cited a history of whip-rules violations in handing down the strict penalties.

At Canterbury Park, the stewards fined jockey Denny Velazquez $1,500 in an Aug. 3 ruling after a racing commission veterinarian observed Ray's Angel “with riding crop welts…on the right flank” after the gelding won the seventh race July 19.

The ruling further states that “The Board of Stewards finds Velazquez' previous history of this seventh rule violation in the last three years involving prohibited use of the riding crop to be an aggravating circumstance necessitating an enhanced penalty.”

At Prairie Meadows, jockey Ramon Vasquez was assessed a $1,000 fine in an Aug. 4 ruling after the meet's leading rider used his whip to apply “48 strikes in the final 3 1/2 furlongs” to Underpressure, who ran second, beaten a neck, in the eighth race Aug. 3.

The ruling further states that “The Board notes jockey Vazquez has had several violations at Prairie Meadows in recent history for excessive or indiscriminate whipping of his horse during a race.”