Regulators find no wrongdoing in suspicious race at Assiniboia
Racing regulators in Manitoba, Canada, found "no rules of Thoroughbred racing were violated" last week when jockey Sheldon Chickeness and his mount King Witt had an unusual trip in a $5,000 claiming-race at Assiniboia Downs that led to an investigation.
On Thursday, King Witt and Chickeness were on a comfortable lead at the top of the stretch when Chickeness began to look back at the competition and appeared to stop riding. Once the field caught up with King Witt, Chickeness re-engaged his mount and they rallied to be beaten just a neck by 5-1 hot Mucho Express.
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The Manitoba Jockey Club, which operates Assiniboia Downs, filed a request "for a full and formal review" of the race with the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba, which oversees racing in the province,
"The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba (LGCA) initiated our standard investigative process at the completion of race 5 on July 20, 2022 held at Assiniboia Downs," the regulatory agency said in a statement Wednesday. "Steps included interviewing witnesses, video replay analysis and reviewing wagering data. After this investigation, the LGCA determined that no rules of Thoroughbred racing were violated and therefore, no adjustments to the order of finish are required."
King Witt, a 3-year-old gelding trained by Jerry Gormeau and owned by Henry S. Witt Jr., fell to 0-for-10 with the loss.