Jockey who won the Kentucky Derby penalized, barred due to overuse of riding crop on horse Sovereignty during the competition.
Jockey's Triumph Tainted by Hefty Fine and Suspension
Junior Alvarado, the jockey who guided Sovereignty to a thrilling Kentucky Derby win last weekend, is feeling the sting of penalties after being caught breaking the rules. Alvarado has been slapped with a hefty $62,000 fine and a two-day suspension, effective at the end of May, for whacking Sovereignty with his riding crop an excessive number of times during the race.
The punishing actions come from violating the guidelines set forth by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), a nationwide regulatory body in charge of the sports scene. According to HISA spokesperson Mandy Minger, Alvarado doled out eight whacks with his riding crop, breaching the permitted six-time limit as per HISA rules.
Under the HISA rulebook, the riding crop should not be used more than six times during a race. The fine for this infraction stands at 10% of the jockey's share of the race purse. In this instance, considering Alvarado pocketed $310,000 for his victorious ride, the fine amounts to $31,000. However, this isn't the first time Alvarado's harnessed the crop inappropriately in Kentucky, resulting in double the fine due to an "escalating penalty structure" as Minger explains.
Curiously, a portion of the fines collected from such infractions are channeled into a mental health program for jockeys—a fitting twist, given the source of these funds. Sovereignty, the fleet-footed champion owned by renowned racing stable Godolphin—belonging to Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum—and trained by William Mott, proved his mettle amid muddy, challenging racing conditions and managed to edge out the favorite, Journalism.
An earlier announcement declared Sovereignty would forgo competing in the Preakness Stakes, effectively ending his Triple Crown ambitions. Nevertheless, Mott hinted that Sovereignty is still planned to participate in the Belmont Stakes—the final race of the Triple Crown—on June 7.
Prior to his triumphant run at the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty boasted an impressive resume, having clinched spots in the Florida Derby and the Fountain of Youth Stakes earlier in March, as well as the Street Sense Stakes last October.
Horse Racing, Kentucky Derby
Faris Tanyos, a news editor for ourNews.com, brings you this exhilarating piece of equine competition and drama—also filling in on breaking news as needed. His past experiences include digital news production at various West Coast-based local news stations.
Enrichment Data:- The escalating penalty structure for jockey crop violations under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) involves fines and potential suspensions.- Standard fines for a first-time violation amount to 10% of the jockey's winnings from the race.- If a jockey commits a second violation within a six-month period, the fine can be doubled to 20% of the winnings.- Suspensions may also be handed out, as was the case with Junior Alvarado receiving a two-day suspension.- All fines from jockey crop violations are directed towards a jockey mental health program called Onrise.
[References][1] [horse racing industry news][2] [horse racing rulebook][3] [jockey mental health support program news]
News about Junior Alvarado's suspension and fine for breaking horse racing rules is making headlines. This incident happened after Alvarado excessively used his riding crop during the Kentucky Derby, violating the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) six-time limit rule. Furthermore, breaking sports news includes the diversion of fines collected from such violations to a jockey mental health program called Onrise, a fitting support for jockey health and welfare given the source of the funds.
