Posts Tagged ‘racing stewards’
Sunday, July 26th, 2009
By Ray PaulickThe California Horse Racing Board has created a potential mess by appointing its former executive director, Ingrid Fermin, as one of three individuals on the board of stewards during the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meeting that began on Wednesday.
Fermin’s tenure as head of the state agency, which lasted three years, ended in 2007  when she said she did not want to relocate to Sacramento, home of the CHRB’s headquarters, as required by the board. There were several controversies and internal turmoil during her time as executive director, and some critics reportedly accused her of showing favoritism in appointments and contracts.
Foremost among those critics is owner Jerry Jamgotchian, who has filed several lawsuits against the CHRB, sent hundreds if not thousands of e-mails critical of Fermin, former CHRB chairman Richard Shapiro and others, and recently told the Paulick Report Fermin was “the most corrupt†executive director and steward in CHRB history.
 When Fermin (pictured, left) was named one of three stewards for the Del Mar meeting, resuming a career she began in 1981 as the first female steward in California history, Jamgotchian requested a hearing with the CHRB to stop the appointment, saying that Fermin was biased against certain trainers and owners. The furor over the appointment ramped up when several trainers, including Mike Mitchell, Jeff Mullins, Art Sherman and Doug O’Neill, appealed to have Fermin recuse herself from judging races in which they have horses. There have been accusations that Fermin specifically targeted certain trainers in post-race drug testing while she was CHRB executive director. Fermin told the San Diego Union-Tribune the accuslations were “baseless” and “twisted.”
Jamgotchian’s complaint against Fermin stemmed from an incident in 2005 involving a horse owned by Jamgotchian that he wanted to scratch from a race at Del Mar. After a steward refused to allow the horse to be scratched, the horse ran and suffered an injury. UPDATE: While Jamgotchian has alleged that the horse, John’s Kinda Girl, was injured in that Aug. 14, 2005, race, the filly subsequently worked out three times over the next six weeks, and raced Oct. 7, 2005, and 12 more times in the next year, winning two of those races.
Jamgotchian’s request for a hearing before the Del Mar meet opened was denied when Fermin declined to attend. After the board met privately in executive session on Thursday, CHRB chairman John Harris said during the public portion of the regularly-scheduled monthly meeting that the stewards named for the Del Mar meeting would be retained. Harris also was board chairman when Fermin was appointed CHRB executive director in 2004.
Things appeared to change somewhat on Friday, however, when owner Martin Wygod, a member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s board of directors and one of the most influential owners in California racing, reportedly asked Fermin to recuse herself from presiding over a race in which one of his horses was running. According to a report in the North County Times, former jockey Luis Jaurequi, now a “safety steward,†would have substituted for Fermin in judging any inquiry or claim of foul involving one of Wygod’s horses in that race. Does that mean Fermin would have judged foul claims in the same race if they didn’t involve Wygod’s horse?
Wygod is believed to have been upset with Fermin ever since an incident involving 2-year-old champion Sweet Catomine at Santa Anita three years ago when the filly left the grounds for medical treatment prior to the Santa Anita Derby. Wygod was charged, following an investigation led by Fermin, with having the filly falsely identified when she was vanned out of the stable area and exhibiting conduct detrimental to racing. The charges, which could have resulted in Wygod having his owner’s license suspended, were dismissed following a hearing.
Jamgotchian, citing numerous sources, provided the following commentary about the reported request by Wygod to have Fermin recuse herself from presiding over Friday’s race in which Wygod’s horse ran: “On July 24, 2009, around noon,†Jamgotchian wrote in a widely distributed e-mail, “a ‘secret’ meeting was held in the Steward’s office at Del Mar. At this meeting,Ingrid Fermin agreed to recuse herself from Race No. 2 at Del Mar. Her recusal was made orally at the demand of owner Marty Wygod because he believed that Fermin has a known, actual and direct bias and prejudice against him because of the Sweet Catomine incident and various statements made about Wygod in the Frank Moore declaration dated July 14, 2009.â€
Jamgotchian went on to say that Wygod threatened to scratch his horse from the race if Fermin failed to recuse herself as a steward in that race. “Fermin agreed,†Jamgotchian wrote, “and her recusal was made in front of fellow Stewards Scott Chaney, Tom Ward and in the presence of other parties in the room, including Wygod.â€
Jamgotchian said he called Wygod’s attorney, Roger Licht, “to confirm the above facts regarding their recusal agreement with Fermin†and that Licht told him “there was an ‘oral’ confidentiality agreement in place with Fermin and that he could not discuss Fermin’s recusal.â€
Jamgotchian said he also tried unsuccessfully to speak with Fermin by telephone before the first race and said he intends to file a complaint with the CHRB regarding the “Wygod recusal†and demand an investigation by the CHRB because of what he called a “unilateral†decision and one that was not publicly disclosed.
If the North County Times article and Jamgotchian’s assertions are accurate, it appears either the CHRB or Fermin are applying a double standard when it comes to Fermin recusing herself from races in which the principals involved feel as though there is a bias by her against them. If she recused herself in a race involving Wygod, shouldn’t she do the same in races involving the trainers who have made similar appeals?
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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(UPDATED: SUNDAY, 5:15 P.M. , FIFTH PARAGRAPH)
Tags: art sherman, California Horse Racing Board, CHRB, del mar thoroughbred club, doug o'neill, Horse Racing, ingrid fermin, jeff mullins, jerry jamgotchian, john harris, luis jaurequi, martin wygod, mike mitchell, north county times, Paulick Report, racing stewards, Ray Paulick, roger licht
Posted in California, California Horse Racing Board, Regulatory Issues, Stewards | 26 Comments »
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
By Ray Paulick
How many times have we seen this happen? A jockey, thinking he is on a “live” horse but with nowhere to go, makes a sudden lane switch in tight quarters at the top of the stretch, bumping or impeding another horse in the race. Oftentimes the “live” horse turns out to be a dud and is outrun to the wire, finishing out of the money. Because there is no need for an inquiry, the stewards scarcely give the incident a second look.
Sometimes, if the jockey in question is an apprentice or young journeyman, the stewards will call him or her in the next racing day to review the incident in the film room. Occasionally, the jockey might get a fine or suspension. Far too often, these incidents pass without any warnings or repercussions to the jockey. No harm, no foul, the thinking goes.
But then we have a situation in which there were severe consequences, as in Saturday’s Arlington Matron at Arlington Park near Chicago. Jamie Theriot, riding Sky Mom, was tucked in along the rail, right behind the leader, and anxious to let his horse run. Even though Rene Douglas and his mount, Born to Be, was racing shoulder to shoulder with Sky Mom, Theriot forced his way out, jostling with Douglas’ mount, and resulting in Born to Be clipping heels, throwing Douglas to the ground, and then rolling onto the fallen jockey and causing severe damage to his spine.
Moments later, the horse on the lead that Theriot was so impatient to pass, drifted off the rail while tiring, providing enough room to drive a Mack truck through. By then, however, it was too late. The damage had been done. Born to Be suffered a fatal injury, and Douglas likely had his highly successful career cut short. There’s a very good chance he’ll never walk again.
Theriot was only riding the way stewards in too many racing jurisdictions allow him to ride. Watch the replays from any track on any given day, and you’re likely to see similar moves by other jockeys — some with less experience, others with more — than the 30-year-old Theriot.
Stewards who don’t pay attention to these incidents, who live by the “no harm, no foul” philosophy, are like the referees in a basketball game who don’t call many fouls, who “let the kids play,” at least until things get out of control. The stewards who let these incidents pass, just as much if not more than Jamie Theriot, are to blame for the accident that so severely injured Douglas.
Theriot got a 30-day suspension for his actions in the race from the stewards at Arlington Park. It’s a moot point now, but I’m curious if there would have been any disciplinary action taken against Theriot had Born to Be not clipped heels and fallen after being bumped, and Douglas not been injured. Would the same move off the rail by Theriot, but with no accident and death to a horse and injury to a jockey, have resulted in a 30-day suspension? I don’t think so.
The Illinois Racing Board stewards refused to discuss the incident with the Paulick Report or with other reporters. It is part of racing’s secret society, the one that says the public has no right to know what these “judges” are seeing and thinking during or after the running of a race. In many racing states, it’s virtually impossible to find out if stewards have taken action against jockeys, trainers or other licensees, even though the rulings are a matter of public record.
By contrast, racing officials in many international jurisdictions routinely file in-depth stewards reports on every race they see. It is part of the culture in those countries that the racing public has a right to know. In some countries, trainers are required to disclose riding instructions to racing officials in advance if they are likely to result in a change in tactics. In other countries, jockeys or trainers are quizzed when a horse has a reversal in form. Interviews with jockeys about lane changes are published. Click on the following hyperlinks to see some examples of stewards reports in Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore.
There are at least two reasons state racing commissions across the United States should insist their stewards file similar reports.
First, it will indicate whether or not these officials are doing their jobs, or how well they are doing them. The racing public, as well as horsemen, will keep the stewards’ feet to the fire and make sure they are paying attention and performing their duties. Many of the currently unreported riding incidents may no longer be brushed aside.
Second, the betting public deserves to know what is going on in the races on which they are betting their money. This is, after all, a game with betting at the foundation, and diligence and attention by the officials who are paid to keep the game clean and on the up and up should go a long way toward building confidence among horseplayers and satisfying the public’s desire and right to know.
Racing has so many challenges now, many of which do not have immediate solutions. This is not one of those “unsolvable problems.” Disclosure and transparency by racing stewards is easy. And it’s the right thing to do.
Better performance by racing stewards, along with greater transparency, may not have saved the life of Born to Be and the career of Rene Douglas. But what is the downside to expecting more from those who are hired to enforce racing’s rules?
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: arlington matron, Arlington Park, born to be, disabled jockeys, illinois racing board, jamie theriot, Paulick Report, racing injury, racing officials, racing stewards, Ray Paulick, rene douglas, riding accident, sky mom
Posted in Arlington Park, International Racing, Jockeys, Regulatory Issues, racing injuries | 38 Comments »
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