Darrel McHargue
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) on Thursday took initial steps to roll back parts of an in-race riding interference rule after both jockeys and stewards decided that several tweaks made to the regulation over the past decade aren't working in ways that stakeholders had anticipated. The CHRB voted 6-0 on Aug. 21 to send amendments to Rule 1699 out for a public commentary period, after which commissioners will vote again to finalize any new changes before they go into effect. A CHRB staff analysis of the changes that was...
As anti-whipping rules continue to evolve nationwide, one problem area that has emerged is the fairness of penalization. Do the various systems of fines and suspensions match the severity of the violations? Or, put more directly, are there ample deterrents on the books to keep a jockey from totally disregarding the number of times and manner in which a Thoroughbred is struck with the whip if the rewards of winning an important graded stakes like a Breeders' Cup race far outweigh the comparatively small dent a penalty might make in...
Seven new members have been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The class of 2020 is comprised of trainer Mark Casse and racehorse Wise Dan (Wiseman's Ferry) in the contemporary category; jockey Darrel McHargue and racehorse Tom Bowling via the Historic Review Committee; and Pillars of the Turf selections Alice Headley Chandler, J. Keene Daingerfield, Jr., and George D. Widener, Jr. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Aug. 7 at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga. The Museum is monitoring...
Whip rule changes that would have barred jockeys and exercise riders from choosing, carrying and using their own personal riding crops in races and workouts hit several snags on Wednesday, leading the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to postpone voting on the measure in an effort to seek more input and fine-tune the rule's language before potentially bringing it back for reconsideration in February. Although the broad intent of proposed amendments to CHRB Rule 1685 was to codify riding crop specifications to more humane and safety-centric standards, discussion of the...