Kentucky Derby Winning Jockey Fine, Suspended For Getting A Little Riding Crop Happy

Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Junior Alvarado got nearly a week to celebrate a big win, riding Sovereignty to victory at Churchill Downs, but on Friday, he was ordered to empty his pockets and sit out two days of racing.

The reason? He used his riding crop — the stick-like device jockeys use to hit the horse on the rear to encourage it to go faster — two more times than allowed.

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According to the Louisville Courier Journal, Alvarado used his riding crop eight times during the one-and-a-quarter-mile race. 

The limit, however, is only six times.

On Friday, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority ruled that Alvarado needs to pay a $62,000 fine — for those keeping score at home, that's $31,000 per riding crop-ing — and Alvarado will be forced to sit out for two days of racing at the end of the month.

The penalty is 10 percent of a jockey's winnings and a one-day suspension for going over the six-whack cap (they don't call it that; I just made that up), but Alvarado's penalty was doubled since this was his second offense in the last 6 months.

Jockey Junior Alvarado rides Soveregnty to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Grace Bradley/Getty Images)

I'll be honest, I had no idea that this was a rule. I thought maybe the rule was something like, "Use the riding crop if you have to, just don't look like you're enjoying it."

Or, hey, maybe here's an idea: I don't mean to get a little PETA, here, but maybe we don't need riding crops at all?

It just strikes me as weird that the rules are like, "You can hit your horse six times — we're cool with that — but if you go seven, though, get ready, crack open that checkbook, buddy."

Also, doesn't this kind of incentivize owners to tell their jockey to give a few more taps during the race if it means a win is on the line? 

I don't know. I like that they're trying to protect the horses, but then, in the jockey's defense, they're riding a giant beast with millions of dollars on the line, and they're supposed to be counting how many times they go to the riding crop?

I'm sure there are many times when they come around the final corner, give the horse a tap on the butt, and think, "S--t' was that three or four?"