NEWS
Charles Town suspends official, seven jockeys
Posted: Friday, April 10, 2009 6:23 PM
by John Scheinman
The clerk of scales at Charles Town Races as well as seven jockeys were fined and suspended this week after an investigation by track management revealed overweight riders were not being reported.
Clerk of scales Michael Garrison was fined $1,000 by the stewards and suspended indefinitely. Horse identifier Mark Munden has replaced him, according to chief steward Danny Wright. The seven jockeys — Alexis Rios-Conde, Tony Maragh, Anthony Mawing, Luis Perez, Larry Reynolds, Jesus Sanchez, and Dale Whittaker — also were fined $1,000 each and suspended for 30 days beginning Thursday.
A tipster contacted Charles Town management and reported jockeys were weighing above the two-pound-over limit without Garrison reporting the violations, and the track set up two cameras the evening of March 25, one trained on the scale’s digital readout and the other watching the riders get on the scale, Wright said.
After watching the tapes from before March 26 races, management representatives went to the jockeys’ room the following day and escorted Garrison from the grounds and turned over the tapes to the stewards.
The stewards held a hearing Wednesday and fined and suspended Garrison and the riders.
“After hearing the testimony of all the riders involved, we felt collectively…in my opinion and the stewards’ opinion, they were fraudulently disseminating improper information to the clerk of scales and he wasn’t disseminating it to the public,” said Wright, who is a former jockey.
Wright said he had no knowledge of criminal charges being filed. He said the judges did not believe conspiracy was involved.
“We point-blank asked, ‘Did you give any money or receive any money to the clerk of scales?’ and we received no indication of that,” he said. “That would have brought it to another level.”
Wright said Jockeys’ Guild representatives requested information about the case, but no appeal has yet been filed.
Charles Town management declined to comment on the case.
“I was hurt by some of these individuals,” Wright said. “Not only are they senior riders, but they should be representatives of what should be good about this industry. I’m disheartened and disappointed. Some of these individuals I held in high esteem, and I’m taken aback by it. Without integrity, we lose the industry.”
John Scheinman is a Maryland-based THOROUGHBRED TIMES correspondent
