5 Year Suspension for Chapa....Wow!

[JustRalph]

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2007/October/03/New-Mexico-court-upholds-Chapa-five-year-ban.aspx

Posted: Thursday, October 04, 2007 10:07 AM


New Mexico court upholds Chapa’s five-year ban


by Jeff Lowe

A New Mexico judge recently upheld a five-year suspension issued by the state racing commission against jockey Roman Chapa for allegedly possessing an electrical device after a race at Sunland Park.

Chapa’s attorney, Cody Kelley, denied the allegation and said the ruling would be appealed.

The commission suspended Chapa after he was allegedly seen with a device in his mouth after a fifth-place finish on Right Place N Time in the sixth race at Sunland on February 17. He rode under a stay until a judge in New Mexico’s Second District Court in Albuquerque upheld the commission ruling last month.

Commission Manager Rosemary Leeder said Chapa could apply for reinstatement in 2012.

~more at the link~

more here too

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=41120

[JustRalph]

5 years.........now that is a suspension.............I would say he is done!

[lilmegahertz]

If he was using devices to win I say good riddance. :mad: It is things like this that gives racing it's shady reputation and keeps a lot of folks away from a really great sport. I find myself trying to defend horseracing to the non-fans but when a story like this arises it brings our reputation down a little bit more.:mad:

[njcurveball]

The commission suspended Chapa after he was allegedly seen with a device in his mouth after a fifth-place finish on Right Place N Time in the sixth race at Sunland on February 17.

The reason he had it in his mouth was that the trainer was shoving it down his throat with all of the losing tickets!

This is the irony of racing, the general public thinks every time someone breaks the rules they are cashing a bet. Many of the drug positives are also on horses who do not win.

[JPinMaryland]

Would it make you feel any better if he had won?

[AQUEBUCKS]

Larry "The Battery" Saumell would be proud...

[Pace Cap'n]

They should have just turned it on and put it back in his mouth.

[njcurveball]

Would it make you feel any better if he had won?

I don't even play that track, but to answer your question I am sure the trainer was in on it and probably the owner as well. The horse was abused and they lost their bets as well.

I would have felt better if he was caught with it in the gate and if the stewards had a Gate Cam in every stall. It is 2007 and we have the technology.

The problem here is the betters get screwed, the horse gets abused, and the reputation of racing gets tarnished again losing many fans, new and old.

Direct answer to your question would be NO! How bout you?

Jim

[CryingForTheHorses]

As a trainer running my horses and being honest..Im glad he got caught.People like him have no place in the world of horse racing, Better still,They have no place on this earth.. A pure BOTTOM FEEDER :ThmbDown:

[imreallytrying]

he should be ban for life and I think there should be a crimnal case filed against him and if found quilty he should go to jail. they do it in the stock market

[Pace Cap'n]

I would have felt better if he was caught with it in the gate and if the stewards had a Gate Cam in every stall. It is 2007 and we have the technology.
Jim

A more contemperaneous article by John Piesen (!) states that he was in fact caught on his way to the gate.

1) A nationally known jockey last weekend was caught red-handed with an illegal foreign object in his mouth (in his mouth!) while proceeding to the starting gate on a favorite in a $100,000 stakes race.

www.nationalracemasters.com/articles.asp?id=721&action=single&hd_id=05 (http://www.nationalracemasters.com/articles.asp?id=721&action=single&hd_id=05)

[njcurveball]

Interesting point. One article says

The commission suspended Chapa after he was allegedly seen with a device in his mouth after a fifth-place finish on Right Place N Time in the sixth race at Sunland on February 17

And a second says

A nationally known jockey last weekend was caught red-handed with an illegal foreign object in his mouth (in his mouth!) while proceeding to the starting gate on a favorite in a $100,000 stakes race.

I guess my question would be IF he was caught ON his way to the gate, why did they let him get in the gate with it?

[dylbert]

The "buzzer" remains one of the more over-rated cheating methods in horse racing. I had secondhand knowledge that one was being used in a race over 30 years ago. Horse gets bet down from 8-1 morning line to posttime 5/2 favorite & runs second. After that episode, I always discounted such rumors when heard trackside.

Back then, I supposed to some of my railbird buddies that Racing Commission or other sanctioning body conduct training race experiment -- give every jockey a buzzer and see what happens!

The part I never understand is that jockey get punishes alone. Most of these events that I described above required conspiracy: jockey/trainer, jockey/owner, or jockey/trainer/owner.

I am not condoning use of this device. I am just disputing its alledged effectiveness in influencing the ultimate outcome of any given horse race.

[Hosshead]

Anybody remember the incident many many years ago when a jockey named L.J. Derouseau (SP) was seen by Willie Shoemaker throwing a buzzer into the bushes (Santa Anita?) after a race ?
Shoe turned him in, and I think L.J. got a lifetime ban.

[Pell Mell]

What always amazes me is that a lot of cheats, in all walks of life, are actually doing quite well and other than greed seem to have no reason to be cheating. If I recall correctly Chapa was usually a leading rider on the circuit where he plyed his trade so what was his motive other than greed. STUPID!

[lilmegahertz]

If a jockey was caught with a device before the start of a race why wasn't the horse DQ'ed and the connections punished then and there?

[kenwoodallpromos]

So Chapa was several times leading rider, and a guy years ago finished 2nd, so that means buzzers are ineffective? Who the heck says those were the only times they zapped a horse with electricity illegally???
I have seen many times circumstances draw suspicion about jockey or trainer conduct, excuses being made, then stuff hits the fan due to a major bust AFTER a winning stakes race!!
I have a message for anyone who thinks a little electric shock, a little CO2, a little Cocaine, a little putting a cripple on the track overloaded with pain killers or run too soon has no effect on the horse OR the bets- BS!
Hard to believe "ineffective" means an 8-1 horse bet down big and finishing 2nd!
Between all the actual caught cheating, late money, internet computer tote inefficiency software, Bailey basically saying he and Day conspired yearly to keep a TC crown from being won, tracks favoring slots bettors by giving them a 95%+ return on a dollar bet while horse bettors get up to and above 30% takeout, and no internet betting site for all 3 legs of the TC, I am not a bit surprised that attendance is dropping like a rock; and poker is the big TV cable sport along with gay wrestling.
There is at least in some sectors talk of uniform racing rules and punishment, then I read in a Buzzer thread a comment like "Many of the drug positives are also on horses who do not win" and I am not surprised that TBred racing has been relegated to the level of a dust bunny sport.

[kenwoodallpromos]

To whom it may concern: Bloodhorse site search for "violation" produced these results (of course, only for those stories condsidered TBred news worthy!!):http://www.bloodhorse.com/googleresults.asp

[NoDayJob]

5 years.........now that is a suspension.............I would say he is done!

Yup, put a fork in him! :D

[Shenanigans]

Batteries are NOT ineffective. A horse can only run as fast as it can and it coming in second just means it didn't run faster than the winner. Battery use in races is dangerous. Ever see a horse jump the inside rail for nothing? He was hit with a battery. Tail flagging is another dead give away a battery is being used. Secretariat got beat by a tail-flagging Onion.;) BTW, if the jock speaks spanish, you can almost bet he has used a machine at one time or another.;) The trainer certainly knows his horse is being hit with a machine too. Horses get "tested" in the AM. Only an idiot jock would hit a horse with machine in a race without it being "tested" first.

[Marlin]

They hurt too. I've been plugged in a couple of times and it hurts BIGTIME!:)

[Shenanigans]

:D

[john del riccio]

Jocks using a joint isn't as uncommon as you think.
Sad but true, its pathetic when you get right down to it.

John

[Valuist]

5 years.........now that is a suspension.............I would say he is done!

I remember seeing Richard Strauss get caught in 1984 at Sportsmans. He got 15 years. He tried to get his license back in 1999 and was turned down by the Illinois Racing Board. I believe he died a couple years later. The IRB also gave Geary Louviere a lifetime suspension back in 1989 so Chapa getting 5 years wasn't as long as it could've been.

[BIG49010]

Jocks using a joint isn't as uncommon as you think.
Sad but true, its pathetic when you get right down to it.

John




I agree, it used to be a very common practice, on bush circuits. I have heard at Beulah a leading jock is a master of the this form reversal practice.