Belterra Park stewards suspended jockey Rocco Bowen for 30 days following what officials deemed “intentional rough riding” during the $75,000 Miss Southern Ohio Stakes last Friday. The suspension has been reduced to 15 days after Bowen agreed not to appeal the ruling.
The penalty stems from Bowen’s ride aboard 3-10 favorite Parlay in the stakes event where he finished second. Bowen’s suspension will run from Sept. 29 through Oct. 13, his agent Cory Hayes confirmed to Thoroughbred Daily News.
“It’s pretty self-explanatory in the ruling,” Hayes told TDN. “I’m a little biased on how I think it should have played out. But the stewards, they made their decision, and that’s the game we have to play, that you go with what they say.”
The incident occurred during the Sept. 19 race when Bowen was piloting the 3-year-old filly Parlay (National Flag), with whom he had previously partnered for two state-bred stakes victories on turf this summer at Belterra. After establishing the lead midway through the 1 1/16-miles grass contest, Bowen faced a challenge from 12-1 shot Green Lady (Tough It Up) under jockey John McKee in the stretch.
According to the Equibase chart, Parlay “drifted out near the eighth pole then drifted back in near the sixteenth pole and bumped Green Lady twice in the final sixteenth and was denied the win.”
Following a hearing involving both riders, stewards determined Bowen had “intentionally guided his horse towards the inside rail to make contact with jockey John McKee.”
Bowen currently leads the jockey standings by earnings at Thistledown’s summer meet. He competes less frequently at Belterra, where he’s had just 21 mounts this season.
This marks the third recent jockey suspension issued by Belterra stewards.
Albin Jimenez, the current leading rider at Belterra, received a one-year suspension for “failure to give his best effort to obtain a winning performance and conduct detrimental to the best interests of racing” while riding a 7-10 favorite to a second-place finish on Aug. 21. Though granted a stay of suspension, Jimenez hasn’t accepted any mounts since Aug. 22.
Last Thursday, Belterra officials suspended jockey Eddie Jurado for 10 days — reduced to five days pending no appeal — for holding his whip in front of another jockey’s mount during a Sept. 13 race. The incident caused the rival horse to check to avoid being struck. Jurado’s mount crossed the finish line first but was subsequently disqualified.
