Luisa Ritacca

The appellant, a thoroughbred licensee, appealed a decision by the Ontario Racing Commission suspending him for violating drug and alcohol rules.

The Commission denied the appeal but, recognizing his rehabilitation progress, allowed him to obtain a limited licence as a groom, hot walker, or exercise rider to facilitate employment.

Upon conclusion of his suspension, he will be placed on probation for one year with strict conditions, including mandatory drug testing and abstinence from alcohol and controlled substances.

The licensees, a horse breeder and his company, sought a stay of an immediate suspension order issued by the Director of the Ontario Racing Commission.

The Director suspended the licenses based on allegations that the licensees misrepresented the foaling location of a horse to enter it in a restricted race.

The Commission considered whether it had the authority to overrule the Director's decision under section 23 of the Racing Commission Act, 2000 before a full hearing.

Applying the test for a stay, the Commission granted the stay with conditions, finding that the public interest would be protected pending a full hearing scheduled before the next racing season.

The appellants, a Quarter Horse licensee and a corporation, requested a hearing regarding a Director's Order of Immediate Suspension and Notice of Proposed Order.

They sought a stay of the suspension pending a full hearing.

The Ontario Racing Commission granted the stay subject to conditions, including prohibiting the horse 'I'm Quick Say Bye Bye' from racing and requiring veterinary certification for any foals registered for Ontario restricted races.

The appellant, a thoroughbred trainer, appealed a stewards' ruling fining him $1,500 for racing a horse without its required blinkers.

The trainer claimed the horse went berserk in the paddock and he was unaware the blinkers were not on until the horse was at the post.

The Ontario Racing Commission dismissed the appeal, finding the trainer had ample opportunity to notify officials of the equipment issue.

The Commission further determined the appeal was frivolous and imposed an additional $250 fine.

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.

The Ontario Racing Commission held a hearing regarding the immediate suspension of a thoroughbred licensee.

The Administration alleged that the licensee engaged in a pattern of abusive behaviour, including physical assault and verbal abuse, towards a Commission steward with whom he had an extramarital affair.

The licensee was also charged criminally and breached bail conditions requiring him to stay away from the steward.

The Commission found the allegations substantiated and concluded that the licensee's conduct undermined the integrity of the sport and the independence of the stewards.

The Commission suspended the licence for three years, followed by a one-year probationary period with mandatory counselling conditions.

The appellants appealed a decision of the Thoroughbred Industry Appeal Board that revised the order of finish in a horse race due to a bumping incident.

The Ontario Racing Commission conducted a hearing de novo and found that the appellant's horse deliberately moved out and interfered with the other horse, which impacted the outcome of the race.

The appeal was dismissed and the revised order of finish was confirmed.

The appellant, a thoroughbred owner and trainer, appealed a Stewards' ruling fining him $1,000 for disregarding the directions of an association official on the training track.

The appellant argued he refused the official's order to remove his horses because he believed the directed route was unsafe.

The Ontario Racing Commission dismissed the appeal, holding that a trainer cannot debate safety instructions with the official controlling track traffic during training hours.

The $1,000 fine was upheld to deter disrespect toward association officials.

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.

The appellants, a thoroughbred jockey and an owner/trainer, appealed a Stewards' ruling that disqualified their horse from first to last place and suspended the jockey for three days for causing interference during a race.

The Ontario Racing Commission dismissed the appeals, finding that the jockey failed to check behind him before moving inside on a turn, thereby impeding other horses.

The Commission upheld the violations of Rules 11.07 and 11.09.01, the suspension, and the disqualification.

The Member, a teacher, faced allegations of professional misconduct and incompetence following two unsatisfactory performance appraisals.

The College withdrew the professional misconduct allegations.

Based on an Agreed Statement of Facts and a plea of no contest, the Discipline Committee found the Member incompetent due to deficiencies in assessment practices, record keeping, curriculum planning, and communication.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a suspension of up to two years and imposing conditions requiring the completion of courses in classroom management and instructional strategies, as well as a satisfactory performance appraisal upon return to teaching.

The licensee, a standardbred owner/driver/trainer, appealed a Judges' ruling that fined him $1,500, suspended him for 120 days, and placed him on probation for two years for failing to provide a proper urine sample.

The licensee provided urine samples that registered below the required 90 degrees Fahrenheit on the temperature strip.

The Commission accepted expert evidence that samples below this temperature indicate alteration or substitution.

The Commission found the licensee failed to provide a proper sample and dismissed the appeal, affirming the penalty.

The appellants, an owner/trainer, owner/groom, and hotwalker, appealed Stewards' Rulings finding them in violation of Rule 15.11.1 of the Rules of Thoroughbred Racing for uttering offensive and racial remarks and threatening another licensee.

The Ontario Racing Commission dismissed the appeals, upholding the findings and penalties, which included fines and a 30-day suspension for the owner/trainer.

The Commission accepted the evidence of the threatened licensee and found the appellants' denials lacked credibility.

Standardbred Licensee David MacNabb requested a hearing before the Ontario Racing Commission regarding the Executive Director's Notice of Proposed Order to refuse to issue a licence.

After hearing from both parties and witnesses, the Commission confirmed the Executive Director's Notice of Proposed Order to refuse to issue a licence.

The Commission provided oral reasons for its decision on the record.

Standardbred owner Rick Cauvier requested a hearing regarding a Notice of Proposed Order to revoke his licence.

The Ontario Racing Commission confirmed the Executive Director's decision to revoke the licence, but delayed the effective date to allow Mr. Cauvier to sell or transfer his horses with the prior consent of the judges at Rideau-Carlton Raceway.

The appellant, a standardbred licensee, appealed a suspension under Rule 6.38 of the Rules of Standardbred Racing.

Following an adjournment to allow the appellant to retain counsel, the Ontario Racing Commission heard the appeal based on an Agreed Statement of Facts.

The Commission reinstated the appellant's driver's licence subject to a 180-day suspension and a one-year probation period.

During probation, the appellant must submit to random drug testing, with any positive or improper sample resulting in an immediate full suspension.