Trot Insider has learned that the hearing regarding the placing of Odds On Equuleus and driver John Campbell from a race last September at The Red Mile was cancelled by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
Campbell was fined $150 as a result of the drive in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes on Saturday, Sept. 29. Judges ruled he took up abruptly after clearing to the lead, disqualifying Odds On Equuleus.
The official ruling from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission states the following:
"After weighing the evidence presented at a hearing requested by Mr. Campbell on 11/13/12 and the information immediately after the race, from the video replay and reports from drivers, it is the decision of the judges that Mr. Campbell and the horse Odds On Equuleus did slow the pace of the race sufficiently to cause confusion among the trailing horses. It is the judge's opinion that from talking to Mr. Campbell after the race, that the horse and the driver are both at some fault for the interference. The normal penalty for a driver in this type of infraction would be a 5 day driving suspension or a $300.00 fine. In finding the horse and driver both at fault Mr. Campbell is fined $150.00."
Trainer and co-owner of Odds On Equuleus Robin Schadt confirmed that the hearing - set for Tuesday, April 23 - was cancelled by the Commission. Noting that both she and co-owner Dana Parham feel that this call was not the right call for the connections of the horse or the betting public, Schadt told Trot Insider that the matter will now be taken to Circuit Court in Kentucky.
While the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission does not comment publicly on matters in process, Trot Insider has learned that the cancelled meeting does not indicate that the issue has been thrown out by the KHRC. The final outcome and ruling on the case should come by the end of May.
I can't remember ever seeing
I can't remember ever seeing a worse call in 35 years I have been following, waqering on and writing about harness racing.
BRUTAL
Judge, jury & executioner got
Judge, jury & executioner got it wrong this time!
lol They can't be serious?
lol
They can't be serious?
Mr. Sindori has it exactly
Mr. Sindori has it exactly right. The bigger problem is that the individuals who made this decision and those thereafter that are delaying "justice' are not held individually responsible!!
That was a great drive and a
That was a great drive and a brutal call in my opinion!!!
A travesty of justice...and a
A travesty of justice...and a perfect example of the arrogance of people in power. They refuse to admit when they are wrong. The horse is at fault, the driver is at fault, and obviously the public which disagrees with this decision almost with unanimity doesn't count.
As usual, the fans and bettors are completely ignored in the equation, and are treated like ignorant fools. Anyone who had money on OOE should have been furious.And they wonder why less and less people bet the horses. This is exactly the kind of event that turns frequent betting patrons into more frequent poker players.
Where's the consistency in rulings? There must be 1,000 examples since this occurrence that were much worse all over North America that were not judged so harshly.
Cancelled due to total
Cancelled due to total embarrassment that they even employed officials who could make such a call.
C'mon, if Campbell slowed the
C'mon, if Campbell slowed the pace in a dangerous manner, why did Gingras not plow into Campbell's back??? And notice Gingras wasn't taking a bigger hold of his horse at the time.