384 Penalties in 2023: The Most Incredible Penalties in Canadian Racing History

If Woodbine jockey Sahin Civaci were a hockey player in the NHL, he would resemble Connor McDavid – albeit a variation of McDavid, who frequently finds himself in the penalty box.

After examining the 384 decisions and sanctions issued by stewards at Canada's five main Thoroughbred tracks in the past year (a significant increase of 175 compared to last year), Civaci stands out as the main highlight. Naturally, that is contingent upon whether the term "feature attraction" can be used to describe both Woodbine's most successful jockey and, conversely, a rider who holds the record for the highest number of suspensions due to reckless riding, received the heftiest fine for excessive whipping, and was also penalized with the largest fine for lack of effort.

His assertive riding endeared him to gamblers who placed their bets on him while simultaneously frustrating stewards tasked with overseeing jockeys' conduct.

The stewards at Woodbine Race Track have issued 26 three-day suspensions to jockeys who were found guilty of interfering with other horses during a race. Civaci was the ruler, and he acquired a total of eight. Consequently, he was compelled to miss one out of every five race days during the 128-day meet. However, conversely, he was achieving victories at a greater frequency than all other riders. He emerged victorious in 23 percent of his races, a remarkable achievement with 129 wins out of 556 starts.

Furthermore, he was penalized with the highest fine in the entire country, amounting to $1,800, due to his excessive use of the whip on his horse, Frac Dancer, during the Clarendon Stakes. This violation far exceeded the permissible three-strikes-and-wait limit. "I sensed his fatigue," he shared with an interviewer following the race. He had to pay a penalty of 20% of the money he earned from the race.

In the category of not putting in sufficient effort, Civaci received a $1,000 fine, which happens to be the largest in the country. This penalty was imposed because Civaci did not show enough determination to push through and reach the finish line during the third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, known as the Breeders' Stakes. Elysian Field, the victor of the Woodbine Oaks and runner-up in the King's Plate, also secured second place in that particular race where perseverance seemed to be lacking.

Some Other Newsworthy Events and Peculiar Occurrences

Aside from Civaci's overwhelming presence in the penalty box and his consistent success in securing victories, what other noteworthy events and peculiar incidents occurred among the 384 rulings? Even though Hasting's season lasted only 44 days, the stewards there were incredibly busy, issuing a total of 136 rulings. Century Mile followed closely behind with 102 rulings, while Woodbine had 73, Assiniboia Downs had 47, and Fort Erie had 26.

• Woodbine trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. received a mix of unfortunate and fortunate updates. Unfortunately, he received some unpleasant news when he was penalized with a hefty $5,000 fine. The reason behind this penalty was his failure to obtain the necessary approval from stewards before entering his recently acquired horse, Cotton, in a race at Fair Grounds. (Without authorization, a horse claimed in Ontario is not permitted to compete in races outside the province for 90 days.) So, what's the positive update? Joseph received a total of $9,000 in prize money for Cotton's impressive fourth-place finish in the Fair Grounds race.
• At Hastings, jockey Kimal Santo displayed a touch of ingenuity that unfortunately went unrecognized by the stewards. During a race on the filly Licorice, the jockey dropped his whip and quickly improvised by tearing off his goggles to keep urging his mount forward. Unimpressed and lacking amusement, the stewards imposed a $50 fine on him for "hitting his horse without discrimination."
• Century Mile jockeys Alexander Marti and Keihton Natera have been handed suspensions of 10 calendar days and fines of $200 and $150, respectively, after testing positive for marijuana use. This marks Marti's second consecutive year of testing positive for cannabis.
• There was also an intriguing case at Woodbine where owner/trainer Harold Ladouceur made a surprising decision. He initially entered a claim for a horse but then decided to withdraw the claim before the race took place. He had to pay a hefty sum of $1,000.
• It is intriguing to consider the events that unfolded when Woodbine jockey Patrick Husbands disrupted his words and actions in the jockeys' quarters and paddock. What was his statement? What actions did he take? It set Husbands back by a hefty $300.
• Other reports of inappropriate conduct in the Woodbine backstretch did not mince words. According to the Woodbine stewards, trainer Michael Dunslow was fined $200 for an incident in his barn that was deemed disruptive and bothersome to others.

This is the soap opera-esque drama that was exposed in the decisions made by the stewards.

Penalties for Interference Have the Greatest Financial Impact at Woodbine

In general, Woodbine riders were subject to the harshest penalties for actions that could have potentially only resulted in an "official warning" at Hastings.

Engaging in disruptive behaviour led to a three-day suspension at Woodbine, while a $100 fine was typically imposed at Hastings and ASD. Century Mile's consequence was a one-day suspension, and Fort Erie's resulted in a two-day suspension.

Nevertheless, there were outliers at Hastings and Century Mile. Highly skilled riders incurred the most severe penalties, much like Civaci at Woodbine. Hastings' top jockey, Amadeo Perez, received two fines of $500 each and an additional fine of $100 for causing interference. In a similar vein, Jose Mariano Ascensio of Century Mile, who shared the top spot for jockey win percentage with Dane Nelson at 22%, received a three-day suspension during the entire meet. Meanwhile, Nelson was handed a one-day suspension.

The Connection Appears Evident: Jocks Who Irritate Can Also Be Except

Stewards at Woodbine and Fort Erie have implemented a new policy: Riders who are dislodged from their horses will face suspensions. The suspensions remain in effect until the riders successfully undergo a concussion protocol. But another way worries about concussions, which are prevalent in various other sports, have now extended to encompass horse racing.

Kazushi Kimura, the rider with the most wins at Woodbine, was one of five riders (two at Fort Erie, three at Woodbine) who had to undergo the protocol during the race season. Kimura faced suspension following his unseating in the initial race on Saturday, July 8, when his horse, Uncle Bull, collided with another. After a 12-day absence, he made a triumphant comeback by securing victory on his sole mount of the day.

Will the remaining three Canadian tracks emulate Ontario's example? A study conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that concussions contribute to a significant portion, ranging from four to 12 percent, of injuries sustained by riders in the sport of horse racing.

Violations in Crop Cultivation: Stephenson From Asd Stood Out as the Most Frequent Offender

Riders at Hastings and Assiniboia Downs (ASD) accumulated a higher number of infractions related to the use of their riding crops compared to riders at the remaining three tracks. At Hastings and ASD, there were a total of 20 each, while Woodbine had 10, Century Mile had three, and Fort Erie had two. The most severe consequences:

• Jockey Neville Stephenson, who has a win rate of eight percent, topped the charts with six rule violations, leading to fines totalling $1,800 and a three-day suspension. It appears that the rider may have exceeded the permitted number of strikes on his horse during the race and failed to adhere to the rule of two hits followed by two strides to respond. Riders are also prohibited from lifting their whipping hand above their helmet at ASD.
• Woodbine jockey Eswan Flores, who has a win rate of 12%, has been penalized with two fines of $500 each and will also face a three-day suspension. One penalty was given for raising his hand above his head to whip the horse. At the same time, the other was issued for persistently urging his mount despite being out of contention for a significant position. At Woodbine, jockeys are not permitted to strike a horse consecutively more than three times without giving the horse a chance to react. The identical regulation applies at Hastings, Fort Erie, and Century Mile.

And what was the magnitude of the penalties? A few riders were given a respite at Hastings, where they were issued with mere "official warnings" for their misuse of crops. In other instances on the West Coast circuit, penalties began at $50 for an initial violation and rose by $50 for each subsequent infraction. At Century Mile, there was a choice between a $100 fine or a one-day suspension. At ASD, fines began at $100, while at Woodbine and Fort Erie, fines began at $200.

Century Mile Horse Owner Incurs a $500 Penalty for Using Inappropriate Language

It is undeniable that strong emotions are prevalent in a sport characterized by intense competition and the pursuit of victory. It was quite a challenge for the authorities responsible for maintaining order to rein in the unruly racers.

The stewards at Hastings Racecourse took charge of the five racetracks, imposing 13 fines of either $100 or $200 for various instances of "inappropriate conduct" or "offensive speech." These incidents involved the racing inspector, security guard, other racing officials, licensees, and a disruption in the race office.

Woodbine stewards issued fines ranging from $100 to $300 for only seven instances of misconduct, but what stood out the most was their vivid choice of words. In several of these cases, they described the behaviour as "obnoxious."

The most significant penalty imposed on the five tracks occurred at Century Mile, where horse owner Lori Lynn Neyka was fined $500. This was due to her inappropriate language toward another participant in the racing event that took place after race four on Saturday, August 12.

The Penalties for Drug Crimes Range From $500 to $1,500

Every racecourse experienced instances of drug violations, although they were relatively insignificant:

• Trainer Elton Dickey was fined $1,000 by ASD stewards for a positive test result and faced an additional penalty of $1,000 along with a two-day suspension for another incident. Trainer Jerry Gourneau faced consequences after a horse was mistakenly provided with a food bucket containing a prohibited substance intended for the neighbouring stall's horse. As a result, Gourneau was fined $1,000 and suspended for two days.
• Trainer Greg Beneen incurred a fine of $1,250 at Hastings after a blood test revealed a violation involving furosemide (Lasix).
• At Woodbine, trainer Ross Armata received a penalty of $1,000 and a suspension of 15 calendar days due to a positive test for clenbuterol, a syrup utilized for the treatment of airway obstruction. In addition, at Woodbine, trainer John Mattine has been penalized with a $500 fine and a three-day suspension due to a class IV positive test for flunixin, an anti-inflammatory medication commonly used to alleviate colic pain.
• Trainer Madison Zielke incurred a fine of $1,500 at Century Mile for exceeding the permissible limit of dexamethasone. This medication is administered to address allergic reactions in equines.
• In Fort Erie, trainer Steven Cathcart received a fine of $500 due to an excess of furosemide (Lasix).

Furthermore, Jeff Voyce, the owner and trainer of Fort Erie, incurred a $500 fine for failing to disclose relevant information regarding an unlabelled substance discovered during an inspection of his vehicle.

Jockeys Penalized for Lack of Effort

Horse racing enthusiasts appreciate the dedication of jockeys who put their utmost effort into securing victory in the races on which they have placed their bets. 

Therefore, they are pleased to witness stewards diligently monitoring and enforcing this crucial aspect of riding. The $1,000 penalty imposed on Woodbine jockey Sahin Civaci (as mentioned at the beginning of the article) stood out as the most significant fine in 2023 for a jockey who did not put in sufficient effort.

In addition, ASD's top jockey, Antonio Whitehall, received a fine of $100 at ASD for not entirely riding his horse and another $100 at Century Mile for easing up on his horse before reaching the finish line. Century Mile and ASD were both issued seven additional fines of $100 each for similar violations. Only three rulings were issued at Hastings for "easing before the finish line." Riders were issued fines of $50.

Woodbine Stewards Bid Farewell to Kimura in a Memorable Manner

Prior to Woodbine's most successful jockey, Kazushi Kimura, departing for Santa Anita during the winter season, the Woodbine stewards bestowed upon him a farewell "present": a three-day suspension for "impeding other horses in the initial turn" during the opening race on December 10. Consequently, he will be required to abstain from participating in Woodbine's 2024 season on April 27, April 28, and May 4. What a remarkable farewell!