This article was first published in the Paulick Report website.
The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) was forced to cancel the final eight races of Sunday’s nine-race card at Aqueduct Racetrack due to a protest lodged by the jockeys resulting in their refusal to ride. Weather and track conditions were not an issue for the riders.
Following Race 1, jockeys expressed a concern regarding the duties of the NYRA Clerk of Scales and Assistant Clerk of Scales. Despite the efforts of NYRA management, the jockeys refused to ride and have abandoned live racing on Sunday at Aqueduct.
"NYRA is responsible for oversight of the Clerk of Scales, Assistant Clerk of Scales and all racing officials in accordance with New York State Gaming Commission rules," said Andrew Offerman, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. "The procedures employed by those officials are designed to protect the integrity of racing and are NYRA's responsibility to maintain and enforce."
Jockeys' Guild representative Kendrick Carmouche, a leading rider on the NYRA circuit told Daily Racing Form that jockeys felt disrespected by track management and cited several examples, including an incident Sunday when NYRA officials sent home assistant clerk of scales Brian Pochman.
Although it was unclear why Pochman was sent home, Carmouche said NYRA was requiring him to do more than he was supposed to and that he was uncomfortable with the added responsibilities.
"Now they’re trying to put other people in his spot to make the races go and that’s just going to make things worse because they don’t know what they’re doing,” Carmouche said.
Pochman, who also works as NYRA clocker, confirmed that he had been sent home but would comment any further. Offerman said he had not been fired.
Other examples of issues causing discontent between NYRA and jockeys were NYRA not granting a valet full-time employment status last December and a decision by management in April to no longer allow the jockeys' families in the jock’s room, Carmouche said, but Offerman said NYRA believed the issues other than the one regarding Pochman had been resolved through "appropriate channels" as well as contract negotiations the union that represents the valets.
