The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) has issued Italian jockey Antonio Fresu a 32-day suspension for a series of offences for overuse of the whip.
The CHRB says it is merely enforcing rules set by the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), under which a jockey is limited to six strikes of the whip and only in increments of two strikes at a time. For each violation, a jockey is given points according to how many times they crossed the six-strike limit.
In addition to the suspension, UAE regular Fresu was fined $1,242. The severity of the suspension is a result of Fresu accumulating 18 violation points in the last six months. The suspensions came in the form of six separate rulings from the CHRB, the most recent of which was issued on 4 September when Fresu was given 15 days for reaching the 18-point limit. He received seven days on 1 September for accumulating 15 violation points in the last six months and initially received seven days on 31 August for having 12 points.
Fresu also was handed three one-day penalties and monetary fines for each instance.
The 32 days will be counted as calendar days, with Fresu allowed to ride in some designated Stakes races during his suspension, which started on 8 September and will run until 9 October.
Speaking to thoroughbreddailynews.com, Fresu, currently second on the jockey’s leaderboard at Del Mar, said: “I am new in the country and where I rode before, you can use the crop more times.
“When I came here, I needed to change my style and keep count. Most of the time, I was just one over the limit. It's not so easy to keep count, especially when you are fighting for a win and are head to head with another horse. It's my own fault. The other jockeys adapted to these new rules.
“In the last couple of weeks, it happened three times in three days and I won every one of those races by a nose. It shouldn't have happened, but I don't think it's really fair. It's not like you're riding in a way where you get other people in trouble or in a bad spot. It's not doing something dangerous. So I think the penalty is a little harsh. Still, I want to change and I want to improve. I want to do my best and not make mistakes like this anymore.”
