Stewards’ Error Leads to Certification Program

A mistake by stewards at Saratoga Race Course in New York almost three years ago will come full circle this fall when a first-of-its-kind Steward’s Certification Program begins at the University of Louisville.

There has been a longstanding need for such a program, racing officials say, but it took the erroneous disqualification of a filly named Allumeuse to prompt action on the issue.

Allumeuse was first under the wire in the second race at Saratoga on Aug. 2, 1986, only to be taken down for alleged interference.

“There had been interference in the race caused by another horse and through a comedy of errors, the stewards had judged that Allumeuse had been the one that had caused the interference when in fact it was another horse,” said Tony Chamblin, executive vice president of the Assn. of Racing Commissioners International, or RCI.

“Allumeuse was nowhere near the scene of the crime,” Chamblin said. “A patrol judge had called the interference into the steward’s stand and for some reason it wasn’t checked thoroughly and they got the wrong horse.”

Chamblin said the stewards involved in the decision no longer work for the New York Racing Association.

“The stewards who were in the stand at the time . . . were not incompetent. But unfortunately somebody made a bad mistake in that particular race,” he said. “Because it was in New York and at the oldest track in America it focused a lot of attention on the need for certification of stewards and expedited plans for the school.”

Now, thanks to a cooperative effort between RCI, The Jockey Club, the Thoroughbred Racing Association and the university’s Department of Equine Administration, the 34-day certification program is set to begin in late October.

Candidates, who must have at least five years experience in the industry and be nominated by their state racing commissions, will spend the first 12 days listening to lectures and receiving instruction at the university.

That will be followed by one day at the University of Kentucky’s Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington and 19 1/2 days of practical instruction at a race track near their home.

There will also be a half-day summary and wrap-up session to prepare the students for a one-day final exam.

The program will cover a variety of track-related positions, including identifier, patrol and paddock judge, placing judge, starter, racing secretary and veterinarian. Other subjects covered will include the mutuel department, maintenance, receiving barns, drug laboratory, pre-race exam, security, rules of racing, legal environment and track management.

Funding will come from student fees, The Jockey Club and RCI, and classes will be taught by stewards, racing secretaries, track managers, attorneys, accountants, veterinarians and other industry professionals.

“It’s a means to keep people tooled-up and assure that they meet a standard,” said Robert Lawrence, chairman of the Department of Equine Administration. “We’re not here to take people off the streets and make stewards of them.”

Indeed. The first class of about 15 students will probably be working stewards.

“Our objective is to further evaluate the program and the curriculum by recommending some hand-picked stewards who would be able to point out any deficiencies,” Chamblin said. “I think the opening program ... is a trial balloon to a certain extent. Any problems or bugs can be shaken out. Hopefully, there won’t be any.”

Nick Nicholson, a director of The Jockey Club, said his orgranization is confident the program will increase the competence and performance of stewards throughout the country.

“As the school grows, we’re confident that all states will gain by the school. But we are particularly confident that the new racing states will reap many benefits by the school,” Nicholson said.

Current stewards appear to be taking a wait-and-see attitude, but agree that anything that will better racing can’t hurt. “I don’t think any steward would feel that he wouldn’t benefit from it,” said Steve Pedersen, a steward at Hollywood Park in suburban Los Angeles. “Certainly, it couldn’t do us any harm and it could benefit us.”