Kentucky’s administrators “have reasonable grounds to believe that horseshoes were worn by Charlie’s Hot Stick in 2022 Lukas Classic (G2) did not violate” Horseracing Safety and Integrity Regulatory Authority rules, the HISA enforcement team wrote in a February 8 recommendation to its board of directors. The enforcement team recommends the council not take any further action regarding the controversial outcome of the October 1 race at Churchill Downs.
Bryan Beauman, a member of the HISA enforcement team, wrote that they found “no basis to believe that the administrator’s conclusions are clearly false or that there is no corroborating evidence.”
The report was forwarded to BloodHorse by Doug O’Neill, Hot Rod Charlie’s trainer, who completed a head first. rich attack winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2022, in the 1/8 mile race.
“I really don’t think there’s much for me to comment on,” O’Neill said. “We ran him the way we were supposed to.”
HISA chose not to release the report prior to the board meeting but issued a statement earlier in the day, noting that the recommendation had been issued. HISA added it would have “no further comment on this matter until the Board of Directors acts on recommendations in a regular meeting scheduled for later this month.”
According to HISA, the panel will meet on February 22, will review the document, weigh it and choose to accept the recommendation, and the panel’s decision will be final in this case.
Hot Rod Charlie, who raced for Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable and Strauss Bros Racing before retiring this winter, raked in $305,520 winning the $498,000 Lukas Classic. Rich Strike earned $99,200 for second place in a tough race, in which his driver was ultimately suspended for 15 days for obstruction.
Rich Strike’s relationships have disputed the Lukas Classic since the days after the 1/8-mile race, believing the photos were taken from four separate photos showing Hot Rod Charlie wearing shoes with “knob toes” At the front, a raised rim in the toe area of a horseshoe helps the horse to grip the road and reduce slips. Due to potential injury risk factors, non-full rim traction devices two millimeters or less above the ground are prohibited under HISA regulations.
According to Hot Rod Charlie’s shoemaker, Dean Balut, in preparation for the start of the Lukas Classic, Hot Rod Charlie’s shoes were sharpened to remove the existing toe clip to help them adhere to traction devices such as defined in HISA rule 2276. At the time of the incident, supply chain issues delayed the widespread availability of HISA-compliant horseshoes.
Hot Rod Charlie next to Rich Strike in Lukas Classic
Lexington-based attorney Barry Hunter has filed a petition leading to the latest investigation by the HISA enforcement team. Richard Dawson of RED TR-Racing, owner of Rich Strike, told BloodHorse last fall that he felt the Kentucky Equestrian Commission’s investigation was not as thorough as it should be and that HISA accepted the findings. their findings.
According to Beauman, the latest investigation looked at race videos from NBC, photographs by multiple photographers, documents from a previous KHRC investigation, and a fact-check on the horseshoe Hot Rod Charlie. worn in the Lukas Classic, movements and exhibits submitted by Rich Strike ties, and other materials.
In an interview with BloodHorse Wednesday, Hunter disagreed with the report’s conclusions, pointing to photos of shoes worn by Hot Rod Charlie that had been dismounted two weeks after the race being included on the final page of the report. Data support 143 pages long of the report . He referenced two photos that he said show Hot Rod Charlie wearing about 2-3 mm traction devices.
“My view is that assuming they were in exactly the same condition as on race day, it would still show a toe grab,” says Hunter.
Dawson released a statement mid-afternoon Wednesday, saying: “After first reading it, it became clear to me that the new investigative efforts more or less repeat the KHRC processes, in which the KHRC predominates. based on his findings on telephone testimony and examination of shoes that were allegedly worn by HRC on race day but were not collected as evidence for several days after the race.
“The latest investigation has attracted little, if any, attention and/or credibility to the more than 100 race day photographs our team provided from a variety of photographers that clearly show the design toe grip/traction on shoes (Hot Rod Charlie’s).
“I don’t know if experienced cavalrymen were involved in this latest investigation or just HISA’s law firm.
“As I’ve said before, a large number of riders have seen race day pictures and all, without exception, have declared ‘those are foot-snatches’ which, as you know, usually do. is known to increase traction but is illegal and banned due to increased chances of injury to the horse.
“Our team will regroup and plan if HISA doesn’t provide us with any assistance when they meet later this month.”
In addition to its recommendation to the board regarding Lukas Classic, the HISA enforcement team noted that “The HISA Board may determine that further clarification of Rule 2276 is necessary to prevent future uncertainty. in explaining the Rule… The Rule prohibits “traction devices”, including toe clips, among other items, but provides no further definition of what is not a traction device and does not specify how a manager should explain the rule when a shoe that was originally equipped with a toe clip has had the toe clip removed.”
