Hats off to Belterra Park and Parx for getting serious about riding infractions that could harm the horse. We have on instance of a 15-day slap on the wrist and another with a walloping 6 month suspension.
Rocco Bowen gets 15-day suspension for “rough riding” in stakes race at Belterra Park
Rocco Bowen will serve a 15-day suspension for “rough riding” stemming from a stakes race at Belterra Park, reduced from an initial 30-day ruling because he agreed not to appeal the decision. The suspension is scheduled to run Sept. 29 through Oct. 13.
What happened
Stewards found that Bowen “intentionally” engaged in rough riding during the stretch run of the $75,000 Miss Southern Ohio Stakes on Sept. 19, 2025, after contact occurred with rival rider John McKee aboard Green Lady. The ruling stated Bowen “intentionally guided his horse towards the inside rail to make contact with jockey John McKee,” language that elevated the infraction beyond incidental interference in the stewards’ view.
Race specifics
Bowen rode heavy favorite Parlay, who made the lead mid-race before drifting out near the eighth pole, then back in near the sixteenth pole, bumping Green Lady twice in the final sixteenth; the stewards denied Parlay the win based on that interference pattern described in the Equibase chart and the ruling. The incident occurred at Belterra Park on Sept. 19, 2025, during the Ohio-bred turf stakes referenced in both the stewards’ decision and race records for that date.
Additional context
Bowen has been the leading rider by earnings at Thistledown’s summer meet and rides less frequently at Belterra, which provides broader context for his Ohio circuit activity around the time of the incident. The Belterra stewards have recently issued other high-profile penalties this meet, underscoring heightened enforcement of riding rules at the track this season.
Paco Lopez suspended for 6 months for repeated violations at Parx
HISA has suspended jockey Paco Lopez for six months effective September 23, 2025, citing violations of the terms of his conditional reinstatement tied to a December 2024 riding-crop incident at Parx involving National Law. HISA said stewards have found multiple crop-rule violations since his January return, including eight instances where his wrist was raised above his helmet, which collectively showed a pattern of noncompliance.
Why suspended
HISA stated the new six-month ban stems from Lopez violating conditions set when he was allowed back to ride after an earlier indefinite suspension for the December 2024 National Law incident. Since his return in January 2025, stewards have cited him for 10 crop-rule violations, eight involving the wrist-above-helmet action prohibited under HISA’s rules, which HISA said presented risk to covered horses.
Prior discipline
Lopez was provisionally/indefinitely suspended on December 4, 2024, after video showed him striking National Law across the face/upper neck after the race, and he was conditionally reinstated on January 23, 2025, following therapy commitments and donations to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund and Second Call. Coverage of his reinstatement likewise noted those conditions and the link to the December 2024 Parx incident.
Responses
Lopez’s attorney, Drew Mollica, argued that any crop infractions since January were adjudicated by stewards at the time and do not breach the reinstatement agreement, saying they look forward to a full hearing on the merits. Separate reporting indicated the defense is appealing the new suspension and seeking a stay while the case proceeds.
Additional context
The announcement followed fresh scrutiny from PETA, which said it alerted HISA after Lopez’s ride on Book ’em Danno in the Grade 1 Forego, alleging wrist-above-helmet strikes during that race at Saratoga. Separate tallies have noted Lopez has accumulated numerous crop-rule violations since HISA’s Racetrack Safety Program began in 2022, underscoring a broader enforcement backdrop for the current action.
