Jockey Manny Franco has been issued a one-day suspension for excessive use of his riding crop in his winning ride aboard Leading Change in this past Saturday’s Travers Stakes, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority announced via its rulings portal on Thursday.
Franco and John Velazquez, who rode Travers runner-up Napoleon Solo, were both issued one-day suspensions for riding crop violations in the Travers. According to HISA’s official notices, both suspensions will be served Sept. 24, well after the Saratoga summer meet concludes this coming Monday.
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HISA’s suspension notice for Franco notes that he appeared before the NYRA steward on Sunday, having been cited for using his riding crop seven times aboard Leading Change in the Travers. In addition to his one-day suspension, Franco was also fined $6,875.
Velazquez was cited for using his riding crop on Napoleon Solo eight times during the race, and was fined $1,250 in addition to his suspension.
Both Franco and Velazquez were sanctioned for a Class 3 violation of HISA’s riding crop rules.
Under HISA regulations, jockeys are permitted to strike a horse with their crop up to six times in a race. Going one to three strikes over the limit is considered a Class 3 violation, which carries a penalty of a minimum one-day suspension and, for races like the $1.25 million Travers that carry purses larger than $500,000, a fine of whichever is greater between 10% of the jockey’s portion of the purse or $1,000.
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The 31-year-old Franco is in the midst of his best-ever season at Saratoga. He entered Thursday’s card with 63 wins this season, two behind Jose Ortiz for the meet lead and one ahead of third-place Flavien Prat. Both Ortiz and Prat are set to spend at least some of the remaining days of the Saratoga meet riding instead at Kentucky Downs.
Franco’s meet was highlighted by his Travers win aboard Leading Change. It was the jockey’s second victory in the Midsummer Derby, following up his win aboard Tiz the Law in 2020.
If Franco can overtake Ortiz and hold off Prat in the final days of the meet, he could wrap up the summer with his first-ever Saratoga riding title. This year’s expanded meet also had Franco entering Thursday just five wins shy of the Saratoga single-season record of 68 riding wins set by Ramon Dominguez during the 40-day 2012 meet.
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This article originally published at Jockey Manny Franco suspended for whip violations from winning Travers ride.
