Smith requests meeting between jockeys, HISA over crop rules

Hall of Fame jockeys Mike Smith and John Velázquez have requested an emergency meeting with Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority officials in light of a controversial six-month suspension given to jockey Paco López.

Smith announced the requested for an emergency meeting in a video posted to the Jockeys' Guild X account Sunday afternoon. Smith and Velázquez serve as co-chairs of the Jockeys' Guild board of directors.

"I just truly, along with the Guild, truly believe that the six-month suspension is just too harsh," Smith said. "It outweighs the crime. What happened in December with Paco at Parx compared to what he's being penalized for now is nowhere near the same."

"We've got to get together with HISA. I, along with my other co-chair member Johnny Velázquez and the whole Guild board, have called for an emergency meeting with them to try and work with them. The crop rule has to be changed and these penalties have to be changed. We've got to come to a happy medium. ... We're hoping we can get together. We're waiting to hear back from them."

Horse Racing Nation reached out to a HISA spokesperson for a response to Smith's request for a meeting but had not received a reply late Monday afternoon.

The video Sunday from Smith follows a series of videos posted to the Jockeys' Guild social media platforms Saturday of jockeys making statements to show their solidarity with López and oppose the suspension. Trainer Derek Ryan also cited the suspension of López as part of the reason for ending top sprinter Book'em Danno's 2025 campaign and freshening him for next year. López is Book'em Danno's regular rider, and his most recent crop violation published on the HISA website relates to López raising his wrist above his helmet when riding Book'em Danno in the Forego Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 23.