Castellano, Borel Punished For Friday Melee At Churchill Downs

Added on Nov 08, 2010 by Jack Thurman in

Horse Racing

While the focus by Saturday had shifted to Zenyatta’s ultimately unsuccessful quest for back to back Breeders’ Cup Classic titles, the actual racing on Friday’s card at Churchill Downs was overshadowed by a bizarre fistfight between jockeys Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano. On Sunday, the Kentucky racing stewards handed down their punishment for the brawl and Castellano’s reckless behavior that precipitated it. Castellano’s mount, Prince Will I Am, was disqualified in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon due to his actions. He’s also been suspended for six days for careless racing and fined $2,500 for his role in the post race brawl. Borel didn’t receive a suspension, but was fined $5,000.

Chief steward John Veitch fined Borel the larger amount–the heaviest financial penalty that the Kentucky racing stewards can assess–due to his role as an instigator, or as Veitch put it “his conduct was the more egregious.” Borel doesn’t plan to appeal the sanction saying “I just want to forget about it.” Castellano didn’t escape Veitch’s criticism either–he said that “We felt Javier wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing. His actions could have easily involved a tragedy. Castellano won’t appeal the fine but according to his agent, Matt Muzikar, he will appeal the suspension for the riding infraction.

Castellano’s decision to appeal is probably less of a legitimate dispute and more of a procedural move to delay his service of the suspension. Currently, he’s scheduled to be suspended this Thursday through Sunday and then November 17 and 18. In Kentucky, suspensions are for racing days and not calendar days which is why its split up in this manner. According to Muzikar, Castellano is contractually committed to ride Ave for trainer Roger Attfield in the $2.1 million Grade Queen Elizabeth Commemorative Cup at Japan’s Kyoto Racecourse. Were he to serve the assigned days of his suspension he’d be unable to fulfill the engagement in Japan. He’s fortunate in some respects that the infraction took place in Kentucky, as in some jurisdictions an appeal of a suspension results in an automatic increase in its length should it be upheld.

The suspension for careless riding was more ‘standard procedure’, but Veitch said that stewards had the option of suspending the jockeys for the post race dust up as well. The decision was made to fine but not suspend the jockeys for the fight based on precedence in similar instances.

Overall, it’s hard to argue with the punishment handed down by the Kentucky stewards. Obviously, Borel and Castellano deserved some sanction for the fight and given the circumstances the fines seem appropriate. Castellano’s suspension also seems commensurate with his offense.