Stewards Nullify a Murky Victory at Louisiana Track

It was a foggy day when Landing Officer sprinted to a 20-length victory on a foggy track at Delta Downs, and racing officials think the race was a bit murky, so they nullified the result.

Some stewards think jockey Sylvester Carmouche hid the 5-year-old horse in the fog and waited for the rest of the pack to approach before exploding to victory.

Landing Officer was disqualified after last Thursday’s 11th race by racing stewards at the western Louisiana track.

“I have a question in my mind whether he won or not,” said Clyde Stevens, a racing steward. “I also have a question of where he was during the whole race.”

Stevens refused to comment on whether Carmouche hid Landing Officer in the fog, saying, “That’s under litigation.”

He said a state Racing Commission inquiry is scheduled Thursday into Carmouche’s actions.

The weather was so bad that the track announcer stopped calling the races.

J. L. Vincent, track security director, told the Houston Chronicle that Carmouche could have hidden in the fog at the top of the stretch, waiting for the field to approach.

“It would have been easy to hide at the top of the stretch down there because the fog was so thick,” Vincent said. “That’s what we think happened because, when the horses came by the first time, we counted only eight, and there were nine starters.”

Stevens said two jockeys filed protests immediately after the race.