The jockey who rode Sovereignty to victory at last weekend’s Kentucky Derby has been issued a fine and suspension for striking the 3-year-old colt with his riding crop an excessive amount during the race.
Jockey Junior Alvarado was given a $62,000 fine and suspended two upcoming racing days at Churchill Downs for violating the rules of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, a nationwide organization that regulates the sport.
In a ruling handed down Friday, the Kentucky Board of Stewards, which oversees horseracing in Kentucky, determined that Alvarado struck Sovereignty eight times with his riding crop, “which is more than the permitted amount” under HISA rules, HISA spokesperson Mandy Minger told CBS News in a statement Saturday.
Under the HISA rule, a crop can only be used a maximum of six times during a race.
