Sidebar

[dilanesp]

Here's the applicable Kentucky regulation; I excised irrelevant portions:

(1) The commission, executive director, chief racing steward or presiding judge, or director of licensing may deny a license application, and the commission or chief state steward or presiding judge may suspend or revoke a license, or otherwise penalize in accordance with KRS 230.320(1) a licensee, or other person participating in horse racing, for any of the following reasons:

(a) The public interest, for the purpose of maintaining proper control over horse racing meetings or pari-mutuel wagering, may be adversely affected if the license is issued;

(h) The licensee or applicant has been ejected, ruled off, or excluded from racing association grounds in the Commonwealth of Kentucky or a racetrack in any jurisdiction;

(i) The licensee or applicant has violated or attempted to violate a statute, administrative regulation, or similar rule respecting horse racing in any jurisdiction;

(j) The licensee or applicant has perpetrated or attempted to perpetrate a fraud or misrepresentation in connection with the racing or breeding of a horse or pari-mutuel wagering;

(k) The licensee or applicant has caused, attempted to cause, or participated in any way in an attempt to cause the pre-arrangement of a race result, or has failed to report knowledge of this kind of activity immediately to the stewards or judges;

(p) The licensee or applicant has abandoned, mistreated, abused, neglected, or engaged in an act of cruelty to a horse;

(q) The licensee or applicant has engaged in conduct that is against the best interest of horse racing, or compromises the integrity of operations at a track, training facility, or satellite facility;

(r) The licensee or applicant has knowingly entered, or aided and abetted the entry, of a horse ineligible or unqualified for the race entered;

(s) The licensee or applicant has possessed on association grounds, without written permission from the commission or the chief state steward or presiding judge, any appliance or device, other than an ordinary whip, which could be used to alter the speed of a horse in a race or workout;

(v) The licensee or applicant has failed to answer truthfully questions asked by the commission or its representatives pertaining to a racing matter;

(hh) The licensee or applicant has knowingly aided or abetted any person in violation of any statute or administrative regulation pertaining to horse racing;

These grounds are DELIBERATELY broad.

In case you are wondering about the statute that is referred to, here's the provision of the statute, which is even broader:

Every license granted under this chapter is subject to denial, revocation, or suspension, and every licensee or other person participating in Kentucky horse racing may be assessed an administrative fine and required to forfeit or return a purse, by the racing commission in any case where it has reason to believe that any provision of this chapter, administrative regulation, or condition of the racing commission affecting it has not been complied with or has been broken or violated. The racing commission may deny, revoke, or suspend a license for failure by the licensee or other person participating in Kentucky horse racing to pay an administrative fine imposed upon the licensee by the stewards or the racing commission.

If KHRC chooses a light penalty, it won't be for lack of authority to impose a more severe one. KHRC can issue a lifetime ban if it wishes to.