Share 
This image was created entirely by AI with guidance from our editorial team.
An administrative law judge has recommended reducing jockey Ramon Vazquez’s suspension from 30 days to seven, finding the Texas Racing Commission failed to justify the increased penalty for a spill at Lone Star Park, according to the Paulick Report.
Judge Michelle Kallas issued her recommendation Oct. 2 and stood by it after making minor clarifications Oct. 27. Vazquez has already served the full suspension.
Lone Star Park spill led to increased penalty
The case stems from the fourth race May 24 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie. Vazquez’s mount, Bint Al Dandy, drifted outward in the stretch and contacted Perdido Star, triggering a spill that unseated three jockeys. Isaiah Wiseman and Ernesto Valdez-Jimenez were seriously injured.
The track’s stewards suspended Vazquez for seven days for careless riding and interference. He accepted the penalty without a hearing.
Texas Racing Commission executive director David Holmes later increased the suspension, citing the severity of the riding violation and the risk and harm caused by the spill.
Judge finds evidence insufficient for harsher suspension
At a July hearing, jockey Erik Asmussen testified that he did not see Vazquez do anything reckless. He said Bint Al Dandy took a small step to the right and Vazquez tried to correct the horse quickly.
The commission’s chief steward, Darlene Knight, testified that the injuries warranted a harsher penalty. She was not at Lone Star Park during the race and could not say what evidence Holmes considered. Holmes did not testify.
Kallas found the evidence did not support Holmes’ description of Vazquez making a forceful move into other horses.
“The video simply shows what appears to be an unfortunate accident,” Kallas wrote, according to the Paulick Report.
Her recommendation leaves the original careless-riding ruling intact. The Texas Racing Commission will decide whether to accept it, potentially changing Vazquez’s disciplinary record to reflect the original penalty. That decision cannot restore the riding opportunities he lost while serving the suspension.
More from playtexas.com – Texas Racing Commission Throws Horse Racetracks Lifeline Then Yanks It Away – Texas Racing Commission Shuts Down Out-Of-State Wagering
—
Source: As reported by Paulick Report.
