Leading Trainer fined $20,000 for running wrong horses twice

Karl Broberg, whose 357 wins lead all North American trainers this year, was on Tuesday fined $20,000 by Remington Park stewards, an end to an ordeal that saw him saddle the wrong horse twice in September at the Oklahoma track, where one of them won.

While Broberg told the Daily Racing Form he’s considered an appeal -- not because he denies the mistake but due to the size of the penalty -- the conditioner ultimately paid up Wednesday morning.

"I just went ahead and relunctantly paid the fine this morning," Broberg told DRF. "It wasn’t worth the fight and it wasn’t worth being talked about anymore."

Both Broberg’s horses were last week disqualified from their finishes and purse money from races on Sept. 4 and 16. His Collateral Kitten was thought to have won the 5th race on Sept. 16, but Onemorefastdance actually ran. That brought to light to the Oklahoma Racing Commission that earlier in the month, Onemorefastdance was thought to have finished the 8th race in 4th, but Collateral Kitten ran.

Collateral Kitten is a 4-year-old bay gelding. Onemorefastdance is a 6-year-old dark bay mare.

Broberg’s explanation was that tattoos on the horses were mixed up, with one 970 and the other 910. He called it a “careless, foolish mistake,” and the total fine consisted of two $10,000 penalties for both horses run.