Harvey Schwartz

Tucci Stables appealed a Stewards' ruling that denied a protest following a race at Woodbine Racetrack.

The protest concerned a horse that had thrown its jockey twice before the race.

The Ontario Racing Commission dismissed the appeal, finding that the horse carried the full weight during the race and no unfair advantage was taken.

The appellant appealed a decision by the Stewards to disqualify the horse D'Wild Storm from first position and place it second.

The disqualification resulted from a protest lodged by the trainer of the second-place horse, alleging that the rider of D'Wild Storm inadvertently struck the second-place horse during the stretch run.

The Ontario Racing Commission panel reviewed the evidence, including video replays and witness testimony, and concluded that the strike, although inadvertent, did occur.

The panel denied the appeal and upheld the disqualification.

The appellant, a horse trainer, appealed a penalty imposed for forging his sister-in-law's signature on a foal certificate to transfer ownership of a horse to himself after a dispute over unpaid training bills.

The Ontario Racing Commission found that while the appellant committed serious racing violations, there were major mitigating factors, including extreme personal and financial stress due to his child's severe illness.

The Commission dismissed the appeal but varied the penalty, extending the stay of the suspension from 90 days to 150 days, with 30 days to be served.

The appellant jockey appealed a $200 fine imposed by the Stewards for excessive use of the whip on his mount during a race.

The Ontario Racing Commission reviewed the videotape evidence and agreed with the Stewards that the appellant used the whip repeatedly without giving the horse a breather during the stretch run.

The appeal was dismissed and the fine upheld.

The appellant, a thoroughbred jockey, appealed a $200 fine imposed by the stewards for excessive use of the whip on his mount during a race.

The Ontario Racing Commission reviewed the videotape and heard testimony from the appellant and a steward.

The Commission found that the videotape did not clearly show excessive use of the whip, noting pauses between strikes and a lack of injury to the horse.

The appeal was allowed and the fine was set aside.

The appellant, a thoroughbred jockey, appealed a $500 fine imposed by the Stewards for excessive use of the whip and raising his whip over his head during a race.

The Commission heard evidence from several jockeys regarding the ambiguity of the whipping rules and the pressure to ride aggressively to win.

The Commission found that the appellant repeatedly whipped the horse with almost no break between blows and frequently raised his hand above his shoulder, clearly violating the rules.

The appeal was dismissed and the fine confirmed.

Thoroughbred jockey Dino Luciani and trainer Justin Nixon appealed a Stewards' ruling that imposed a three-day riding suspension and disqualified their horse from first to fourth place for interference during a race.

The Ontario Racing Commission found that the jockey deliberately bumped another horse to create a path, violating racing rules.

The appeals were dismissed, and the suspension and disqualification were upheld.