'Reprehensible': Monmouth Park star jockey whips horse's neck after race

‘Reprehensible’: Monmouth Park star jockey whips horse’s neck after race

Posted by author December 4, 2024 Horse Racing

Spread the love

Paco Lopez recently wrapped up his 11th riding title at Monmouth Park, having emerged as the Jersey Shore racetrack’s biggest star.

So it was particularly unsettling to find Lopez at the center of the latest controversy surrounding the embattled sport Tuesday when the veteran jockey, who recently won his 4,000th race, used his whip to deliver a heavy blow to the neck of a 2-year-old named National Law well after the finish line in the fifth race at Parx in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. After winning the race!

The senseless act was borne out of frustration after the juvenile simply showed how green he was in just his third start, bearing out to the outside rail in the stretch while winning by 1 ¼ lengths.

If Lopez doesn’t get a substantial suspension for the incident, it would be another black eye for racing.

Moments like this are why horse racing has a public perception problem. And if the public loses faith in horse racing it won’t survive, particularly if public funds that flow into the game around the country dry up.

And afterwards, National Law’s trainer, Jorge Duarte Jr., took to social media to defend the rider, saying on Twitter : “Jockeys are the toughest athletes. We have mental health involved already anyone who saw the whole stretch run would say Paco was outstanding keeping the horse safe. We need to focus on things that matter.”

The post was later deleted.

National Law is owned by Colts Neck Stables, who Durate trains for.

A statement from Colts Neck Stables read: “In the 5th race at Parx today, Paco Lopez struck a horse of ours across the neck/mouth, after the race had finished. We do not agree with the action he took, nor Jorge Duarte’s opinions on how the situation was handled. It is truly one of the most unwarranted actions I have seen lately. Colts Neck Stables has not and will not ever condone this type of treatment towards horses. We love our animals, and it is always our priority to maximize there quality of life while under our care.”

There’s been a heightened sense of awareness regarding equine safety since a spike in fatalities at Santa Anita put the sport in the national spotlight early 2019. It eventually resulted in federal legislation that created the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, putting drug testing and safety in the hands of the federal agency.

According to HISA’s ruling portal, Lopez has 10 violations for excessive whip use – a rider is only allowed to strike a horse six times during a race – over the past 24 months, including two violations at Parx since late August.

Parx track announcer Jessica Paquette said on social media: “It’s never okay to react out of frustration towards a horse. It doesn’t serve any productive purpose from a training or safety perspective. More now than ever, we have to be better.”

Prominent horse owner Mike Repole called Lopez’s action “reprehensible.”

Horse racing deserves better, especially from its top talent. And if the sport can’t find a way deal with incidents like this, and change the narrative surrounding racing, then the path forward will be incredibly challenging.