By T.D. Thornton
An attorney for jockey Roman Chapa filed an appeal on Wednesday against a $25,000 penalty and five-year suspension imposed by the Sam Houston Race Park stewards, who had ruled earlier in the week that Chapa “did carry an electrical shocking device” while riding Quiet Acceleration (Silent Picture) to victory in a Texas-bred stakes race Jan. 17.
Robert Elrod, the public information officer for the Texas Racing Commission, confirmed in an email that the appeal had been filed. Elrod wrote that he could not release additional details because the appeal needs to be reviewed by the agency's general counsel, and adverse weather kept many Texas state workers out of their offices Thursday.
Separate from the stewards' ruling, Chapa is facing the possibility of having his fine increased by Texas Racing Commission executive director Chuck Trout, who has discretion to boost the total penalty to $100,000.
Stemming from the same incident, the 43-year-old rider is facing “unlawful influence on racing” felony criminal charges in Harris County Court. Chapa is free on $10,000 bail until a Mar. 18 arraignment.
Chapa has twice previously been suspended in Texas (1993) and New Mexico (2007) for attempting to frighten a racehorse into running faster with an illicit object.
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