Mike Hole was an English born jockey riding in New York back then. After John Cotter reported the statement he said Mike Hole made to him, Hole publicly denied it and said he had never been offered a bribe. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Walter Swinburn on Shergar in the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster, September 1981. We constantly hear talk of cleaning up the game. It can be more reliable as well. . New York Racing Association spokesman Patrick McKenna said its suspension remains in effect and . "I watched the race a thousand times and I still can't believe what I saw. That is what the cameras are for. Basically you cant and you dont. United States Court of Appeals,Second Circuit. Fox denied the claim. We hold that the charge accurately states the RICO standard and that the governments case amply satisfies that standard. Higher claiming purses allow for running horses at lower levels than they may be worth as you can win a big pot and if you get claimed you still wind up fine. Rodgers, another of those arrested yesterday, has already been banned from racing by the Jockey Club for doing just that. Joe Judice, one of seven jockeys banned from Tampa Bay Downs this past December because of an investigation into alleged race-fixing, returned to the saddle June 3 at River Downs and . The bets returned a profit of $185,000. Sure, it can be, but it is far from evidence and definitely not a for sure telltale sign. Fixing races or a fixed race is the first thing that probably comes to most minds when you mention cheating in horse racing. Fine Cotton was not a successful Australian racehorse when he was purchased by bloodstock agent John Gillespie. This would be very hard to do given the unpredictable nature and tendencies of race horses, let alone all the other intangibles. After the horses' arrival at Gerard's farm, Cinzano's accidental death was recorded. Richie Fingers, drives a golf ball deep on a Long Beach practice range. We are grateful to the panel for their diligence in hearing and passing judgment on this important case., 12.50 Ustath 1.20 Funky Town Pinkie 1.50 Dashing To You 2.20 Villalobos 2.50 Golden Speech 3.20 Velma 3.50 Ray Vonn 4.23 Mintnthat (nap), 3.45 First Snowfall 4.15 Whatwouldyouknow (nb) 4.45 Champagny 5.15 Glorious Angel 5.45 Motawaazy 6.15 Man Of Eden 6.45 King Of Speed. ", Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, 'Family of b***hes': Logan Paul insults Tommy Fury's family on TV, Celebs flock to Saudi Arabia for Jake Paul and Tommy Fury fight, Ben Stokes speaks after England's 'agonising' defeat to New Zealand, Liverpool midfielder Arthur Melo seen training after injury, 'Sh*t, I'll be back! Jonathan has been around the sport a long time, he has seen a lot, and we are sure youll be surprised by some of what you read in the series. He does, however, challenge the adequacy of the governments evidence of a RICO enterprise. That enterprise must continue in an essentially unchanged form during substantially the entire period charged in the indictment. Twitter profile In a trifecta, the winning bettor must pick the first three horses in exact order. All Rights Reserved. Gov. Back when all this was supposed to have been happening, racing was a lot more mainstream, and was the number one spectator sport in the country. A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "South Yorkshire Police are assisting the City of London Police in a joint operation. The ensuing investigation by racetrack officials and the FBI revealed that Errico, a 58-year-old former jockey, was the linchpin of an organization of bribed jockeys and informed bettors who profited by placing high-stakes, combination wagers on fixed races. Amy refused. Horses run less and trainers are conscious of win percentages and spot horses accordingly. Fellow jockey Jimmy Quinn was banned for six months for his part in the. Cotter reported it to the NYRA stewards. Angell and the other man had initially arrived in the company of Berger and Hirsch.10, March 24, 1975 is the final date for which the government offered evidence of Erricos operations and is a crucial date for purposes of the five-year statute of limitations, 18 U.S.C. Winning percentages are generally higher today. . The definition of enterprise in 18 U.S.C. Bob Baffert raises the trophy after winning the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby with Medina Spirit at Churchill Downs on May 1, 2021, in Louisville, Kentucky. Prohibited substances. Suicide was suspected, but many at the time doubted it. Following is the first in a series of articles on cheating and race fixing in Thoroughbred Horse Racing, the Sport of Kings. It should be employed everywhere they race. . The track records reveal that Harold Hirsch collected $77,570 from the December 6 trifecta, and Kachougian collected over $129,000 from the December 9 trifecta. After the announcement of the penalties, a spokesperson for the British Horseracing Authority said the welcome outcome sends a powerful message that conduct of this nature will never be tolerated in British racing. Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 must be filled in at the track by bettors who win more than $600 on a race, and thus the racetracks copies of the forms reveal the identities of the big winners for each race. Below is the summary of appeal of Erricos conviction from the court files. On December 6, the FBI watched Kachougian spend thirty minutes placing combination bets at Aqueduct and then saw Garabedian, Hirsch, and Berger join him. In late November, 1974, Kachougian, Hirsch, Angell, Charles Garabedian, and David Berger rented rooms 402, 404, 406 and 410 of a Howard Johnsons Motor Lodge quite close to Aqueduct. 6 According to The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database, nearly 10 horses died every week at American racetracks in 2018. Jockey Kieren Fallon is among 16 people arrested today in a police probe into corruption within horse racing and fixing the outcome of horse races. Morgenrood has previously been issued a life ban for race fixing in South Africa, where he was licensed from 1992-93 . Were definitely appealing. In California, where one track -- Santa Anita Park -- suffered a frightening wave of horse breakdowns and fatalities in 2019, officials have outlawed Lasix in some races. Amy also testified against former jockey Con Errico in his federal race fixing trial. Cinzano had been Uruguay's Horse of the Year in 1976, while Lebon was nowhere near that level. However, because this argument affects the applicability of the statute under which he was convicted, we reach the merits of the argument under the doctrine of United States v. DAmato, 507 F.2d 26 (2d Cir. Unfortunately there are many ways to cheat in horse racing. He was referring to 37 track deaths suffered in the 2019 racing year by thoroughbreds at Santa Anita Park in Southern California. It is unclear, though, whether this race forms part of the latest investigation. When asked why, he revealed Ciulla's involvement. Horse racing trainers and veterinarians charged in international doping scandal Defendants allegedly tainted races in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky and the United Arab Emirates.. Two or three weeks later, Amy held his horse again for another $1,500.5, The month of August, 1974, when the Racing Association held its races at its Saratoga track, was a busy month for Erricos operation. Instagram profile. 1961(4) (1976). From race-fixing and horse switches to performance-enhancing drugs, some will do whatever it takes to see their horse cross the finish line first. Many of them have been caught red-handed too. At the conclusion of the largest and most complex inquiry ever undertaken by the BHA former jockeys Paul Doe and Greg Fairley were each handed 12-year bans for deliberately riding horses to lose. Since Betfair's launch less than four years ago, it has proved wildly popular with punters, who will usually get significantly better odds than a backer with a conventional bookmaker. He was charged with taking the money from Richard Sklar, 44, who was indicted for fixing that race and two others at Los Alamitos on the same day. .begs the question doesn't it..HOW DID ANYONE WITH THIS WORK HISTORY - A LIFE BAN FOR RACE FIXING, FOR GOD'S SAKE - GET A LICENCE TO RIDE IN THIS COUNTRY ? Th. XY Jet received $1.5 million at the Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2019 but supposedly died from a heart attack in January 2020. ``They found him in the San Francisco Bay. This became public knowledge, resulting in threats, but Fuller's request for enhanced security before the race had been turned down. Favorites and shorter priced horses were being pulled or held resulting in higher priced horses making up triples and exactas. Fine Cotton I have long said, knowing a horse that wont win is every bit as valuable as knowing one that will. Licensed owners Maurice Sines and James Crickmore were banned for 14 years for betting on their own horses to lose, and conspiring with others to corrupt races. Horses' legs were burned with liquid nitrogen (a process called freeze-firing) and other irritating "blistering" chemicals which causes them excruciating painpurportedly to stimulate blood . ``I am not at liberty to disclose the scope of the FBI investigation, Weiss said. Jockeys' Association chief executive John Blake said today that his organisation will offer full support to the three jockeys. He was the one who took the fall, and if this was a scheme then he obviously wasnt acting alone. The Juice. Assuming the 14 races the investigation focused on were the only ones with these isolated betting patterns, which may or may not be a reasonable conclusion, $535,944 was wagered boxing horses leaving out favorites, showing a profit of $1,020,454. Yet the circumstances of his success seemed suspicious: Davis was the only person with winning Pick Six tickets, had selected two long-shot winners and had made the unusual choice to pick winners in the first four races while selecting all horses to win in the last two races. Lol> Like an ATM. In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications. Fallon receives 21-day ban. Most of the track records for that day had been destroyed, but the IRS records reveal a.$19,000 winner who collected those winnings under a fictitious name.11, Errico was indicted for a one-count RICO violation, on March 21, 1980. News of the World reporters, posing as punters, claim Fallon told them a horse called Rye would win a Lingfield race in which Fallon was riding Ballinger Ridge. On December 9th in the 9th race at Aqueduct $34,894 was wagered for a profit of $129,188 boxing all the horses except the ones ridden by Jean Cruguet, Jose Amy, and Angel Cordero Jr. On December 12th in the 9th race at Aqueduct $30,000 was wagered for a profit of $40,000 boxing all the horses except those ridden by Jose Amy, Jorge Velasquez, and Jaime Arellano. On March 5, 1974, Errico tried a third time more aggressively. The track temporarily shut down, then decided to phase in a ban of Lasix, which is used to prevent bleeding in horses' lungs. Kathy Hochul's proposed $455 million loan to prop up New York's fading horse racing industry is a load of manure, critics charge. We, as students of this great game, should know that better than anyone. A veterinarian was accused of distributing cobra venom as a painkiller. "That excuse didn't fly with us," said Gulfstream General Manager Bill Badgett. In a race at Atlantic City in 1975, the jockey Ciulla had influenced was too obvious about reining in. Of course, Gay Future won. He was reinstated many years later and rode a winner or two a few years back with the support of Barry Schwartz and others who felt he had paid whatever dues he owed, and it would be tough to argue he didnt. Some of the drugs used were referred to as "red acid," "bleeder" and "frozen pain." Pfaus plea agreement is sealed, and federal prosecutor Ed Weiss said he could not discuss the links between Pfau, Sklar and Hansen. 00:52. A fifth jockey, Paul Fitzsimons, now a trainer, was acquitted of all charges and will return to racing, as was Darren May, who was charged with corrupt and fraudulent practice. The stock market is not viewed nearly as skeptical or with a type of stigma even close to The Sport of Kings but they have had their insider trading scandals, junk bond scandals, and of course the good old pump and dump scandals to rival the game most of us love, horse racing. Jorge Velasquez testified he had never been offered or accepted a bribe and had never ever even heard the expression to hold or pull a horse. On August 2nd in the 9th race at Saratoga $35,000 was wagered showing a profit of $137,340 boxing all the horses except the ones ridden by Jose Amy, Eddie Maple, Angel Cordero Jr., and Jaime Arellano. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, BHA hails welcome outcome as four other men receive bans, Brock deliberately stopped horses in three races, found panel. Receive Past the Wire directly in your inbox and stay up to date on Horse Racing, including the latest Thoroughbred Racing News and more. Racing is a big money game, and as also an athletic competition, it is inherently super competitive. So too have tracks in New . To address this, Gillespie's gang used hair dye, which turned the horse orange. On February 8, 1983, masked gunmen came to Shergar's farm, forced a groom to load up the horse, and drove away. Two other jockeys are among 11. Dubliner Robert Winston is the highest-profile jockey to be banned so far as racing's tough ruling body, the Horseracing Regulatory Authority, meticulously sift through evidence gleaned. Nothing seemed unusual or troubling according to Ray. A motley crew of jockeys, trainers, racehorse owners and bettors have all, at times, come up with inventive, and sometimes ludicrous, attempts to earn a quick buck off horseracing. It doesnt mean that everybody has to be the same. Errico attempted to bribe Amy again a few days later but met the same refusal. The horse had drifted suspiciously in online betting. In his defense, Errico presented alibi testimony that he had been in California recuperating from facial cosmetic surgery on March 24; but he did not take the stand himself.13. An early look at the Breeders' Cup with Keeneland Dan and The Pick 6 King, Frankie Dettori's Fanfare, the history, the resume, the accolades, part 3, Read more Both Pfau and Hansen currently figure in an ongoing FBI and state probe into allegations that a ring of bettors rigged races at California race tracks, federal officials say. Graham Bradley banned for eight years for misleading the Jockey Club over ties with alleged drugs baron Brian Wright. Submit the form on the contact page, or reach out using one of Shergar was a famous racehorse who won the Epsom Derby by the largest margin in race history. This case is of great national significance, not just to the racing community, but to the wider public throughout the UK.". A gambler since his teenage years, Mr Rodgers has had a long love affair with the "sport of kings" and at one time owned a number of horses through his Platinum Racing Club syndicate. The investigation centres on suspicions of corruption within horse racing and fixing the outcome of horse races. As a diuretic, it also makes horses lose weight before a race. We have to give them the benefit of the doubt, and they deserve it. Horse racing Former jockey Danny Brock banned for 15 years for role in betting conspiracy BHA hails 'welcome outcome' as four other men receive bans Brock deliberately stopped horses in three. If you already have the Guardian app, make sure youre on the most recent version. 1979), Erricos organization here satisfies RICOs enterprise requirement. Barry James Gilmour/Fairfax Media via Getty Images. He is said to have wagered up to $500,000 a day using a network of runners who helped. Bradley and Fallon confronted in Panorama's expos, The Corruption of Racing. Copyright 3282 (1976). The betting public thinks for the most part they were proven correct in all their assumptions regarding cheating by the indictments of Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro. Five other unlicensed individuals were found guilty of corrupt and fraudulent practice, including financier and businessman Nick Gold, a poker partner of Siness, who admitted to placing large bets on behalf of Sines and Crickmore. Ciulla ended up testifying against the jockeys and trainers who'd fixed races for him before being granted entry into the Witness Protection Program. Baffert's horses have failed 30 drug tests over 40 years, with Medina Spirit becoming the fifth horse to do so in the past year. A supporter of civil rights, he'd given $60,000 in winnings from another race to Coretta Scott King in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. The wagering public is made aware of the planned change in tactics. The pattern of rapidly changing fortunes has continued for Fallon ever since, with six championship seasons in the last seven years punctuated by a near-fatal fall at Royal Ascot in June 2000 that kept him out of the saddle for six months. More than 130 police officers raided 19. It involves owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, bettors, amongst others, and of course our equine athletes, the horses. It is unclear as yet whether the terms of his disqualification will prevent him entering his fathers yard. "Yesterday, I got the biggest gut punch in racing for something that I didn't do," Baffert said. Let us not think for one minute cheating is restricted to horse racing and does not permeate its way into other sports and businesses. Even the legendary riders of that era, the 70s and 80s who were allegedly involved in the Saratoga race fixing scandal couldnt actually know the pre-determined outcome of a race. A 20% winning percentage today is not the same as it was 10 or 20 years ago. It is understood that Quinn will serve his ban. Jockeys would mostly receive $400 to $500 bribes to slow down their horses to let others win. Shaun Harris, David Kendrick and Liam Vasey were banned for three, four and five years respectively after being accused of laying bets on the basis of inside information. Second, he argues that there was insufficient evidence of a unified enterprise to support a RICO conviction. The renovation proved no magic fix - in the face of . Just a few years ago a basketball referee pled guilty to engaging in activities that would constitute cheating by most definitions. The fixing ring was bust and their scam blown wide open, once again bringing the . An appeal is due shortly. Brandon Morgenrood, 42, was. Gold and his father Peter Gold will make submissions to the BHA before their penalties are decided. Stephen Edelson is a USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey sports columnist who has been covering athletics in the state. Instead of giving up, Gillespie and conspirators decided to run another horse, Bold Personality, whose color and markings were nothing like Dashing Solitaire and Fine Cotton. However, the findings of the disciplinary panel vindicate the hard work of BHAs Integrity and Compliance teams.. If any or all are charged with conspiracy to defraud, the evidence against them will have been gleaned from phone records and computer databases, and not the fingerprints on a dope-filled syringe. Amy testified that he received $1,500 from Errico for each of three trifecta races in which he held his horse in those two months: November 22, December 6, and December 9, 1974. Brian Wright is "warned off" from British racecourses indefinitely - charges included placing bets using "privileged inside information". Baffert can saddle up after 1-year N.Y. racing ban. On August 6th in the 9th race at Saratoga 60,000 was wagered for a profit of $109,056 boxing all the horses except those ridden by Jose Amy, Eddie Belmonte, and Jaime Arellano. On August 30th in the 7th race at Saratoga $42,500 was wagered and lost boxing all the horses except those ridden by Ben Feliciano, Marco Castenada, and Angel Cordero Jr. On October 30th in the 7th race at Aqueduct $48,700 was wagered for a profit of $130,000 boxing all the horses except two which were ridden by Braulio Baeza and Angel Cordero Jr. On November 11th in the 5th race at Aqueduct $34,350 was wagered for a profit of $42,300 boxing everyone except one horse ridden by Jean Cruguet. That said, who would have thought Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro were communicating via cell phone at the track while there was such a shall we say buzz about them going on, assuming their indictments are accurate? In reality, the horse was actually a similar-looking imposter to the real Gay Future. many more ways to fix a race than by juicing a horse. Treat established Pioneer in Mission Dolores, a suburban district popular amongst San Franciscans as a weekend resort. The location - 12 miles outside the city - was chosen to circumvent the 1899 San Francisco gambling ban. The remaining 13 people arrested are suspected of illegal bookmaking activities, an earlier ICAC statement said. "These persons are being detained for questioning at police stations across the county. On December 31st in the 9th race at Aqueduct $84,000 was bet and lost boxing all the horses except those ridden by Jean Cruguet, Braulio Baeza, Jaime Arellano and Jorge Velasquez. On June 6th in the 9th race at Belmont $35,000 was wagered boxing all horses except those ridden by Angel Cordero Jr., Jose Amy, Jaime Arellano, and Jacinto Vasquez. We take no pleasure in uncovering such serious breaches of the Rules of Racing. At the same time, participants must have absolute confidence that they are competing on a level playing field. Every honest participant in the sport is victimized by cheating. A reasonable question after reading all the court testimony would be why. Betfair's database logs and stores every bet struck on a given race. You should assume that any medication or supplement (including herbal substances) that has, or claims to have, an effect on horses (or any other species) is prohibited unless you have specific advice from the BHA Equine Health and Welfare Department that states otherwise. Pfau, 34, pleaded guilty Monday in a Los Angeles federal court to accepting $2,100 and a percentage of a ``pick six'' purse to rein in his . denied, 429 U.S. 1039, 97 S.Ct. . After racing clear, Fallon eases up and is caught close to the line by Rye. At that time, we saw no Congressional intent to restrict RICO to legitimate enterprises. On July 31st in the 5th race at Saratoga $38,000 was wagered for a profit of $23,000 boxing all horses except two ridden by Jorge Velasquez and Eddie Belmonte. The Biggest Horse Racing Scandals. That would have taken a book. Investigators shut down a sports gambling and race-fixing ring Wednesday, and three harness drivers--including the winningest driver in the sport . Former champion amateur jockey Dermot Browne tells how jockeys were offered cash, cocaine and prostitutes to fix races for Brian Wright. All Rights Reserved. In March, he was found guilty of accepting bets on two horses owned. On November 25, Errico met with Garabedian and Berger in their car in the Hilton parking lot. Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images. There are many ways to cheat, and some have nothing to do with a win percentage. 33d. That is a good practice. On the August 6 trifecta race, another race Errico paid Amy to fix, Kachougian won another $109,055 and Harold Hirsch won $13,155. At the end of that day, Errico met with Angell there for thirty minutes.9, During the next few days, the bettors moved across the street to the Hilton Inn. The Fix is in, juicing horses is a major part of cheating and race fixing in horse racing. Jason Servis, trainer of Maximum Security #7, waits for an inquiry result after the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky. The losses resulted in public outcry, increased attention on the conditions and treatment of racehorses and official inquiries. The scheme went off the rails when Dashing Solitaire was injured in a kangaroo-related incident and left unable to run. Career Ahern had his first ride in his native Ireland in 1994. . Sadly, the ones who may not be give us a reason to question what we see on the racetrack at times and ask the questions many in the industry simply shrug off as conspiracy theories. On November 22, Errico spent fifteen minutes in that hotel immediately before directing Amy to hold his horse in the ninth race. Ultimately 14 races were isolated in 1974 as potentially being fixed. The betting patterns spoke, but what did they say? From historical figures to present-day celebrities, Sara Kettler loves to write about people who've led fascinating lives. Essentially, the core of it has to be the same throughout the period.12, Because of the statute of limitations, the government had to prove that Errico bribed Amy on March 24, 1975, since this was the only overt act alleged within the limitations period. What lies at the heart of this investigation are the actions of two individuals, Maurice Sines and James Crickmore, who, together with their associates, were prepared to corrupt jockeys and to cheat at betting by the misuse of inside information. Argued Sept. 29, 1980.Decided Dec. 1, 1980. Eddie Belmonte, a jockey who operated on Erricos behalf, convinced jockey Ben Feliciano to hold horses for pay; Feliciano received $2,500 for an August 10 race and $5,000 for an August 24 race. Essentially unchanged. Doe and Fairley announced that they were retiring from the sport before the BHA concluded its investigation. Much of the time those horses are short prices and used in many tickets and bets. Bettors have to demand a level playing field if they are going to invest into a skill game that pays out millions of dollars a year to those who are right. A $3 million demand for ransom came, but Shergar's ownersthe Aga Khan and other shareholdersdecided not to pay, leery of future abductions. With more wagering options on the menu today, there are more ways to make money today if anyone had that same edge or information. It is understood the allegations involve more. In the longer term, however, there is a growing belief that if the club is seen to be doing its job by rooting out corrupting influences, it can only be good for the standing of a sport on which British punters gamble many millions of pounds every day. A Maryland Jockey Club spokesman did not expect to make any kind of formal announcement Wednesday. Jockeys Paul Doe and Greg Fairley have been banned from racing for 12 years for "not riding a horse to its merits" after an investigation into corruption. He had breakfast that morning on the backside at Aqueduct and my friend Ray DeStefano ran into him and they spoke. Other than Jose Amy the riders whose names appeared with regularity in the races with the shall we say odd betting patterns were never charged. We read past performances daily. Errico did find one jockey that month who could not be bought. The issue is one for the Supreme Court, since the other circuits3are divided on the point. The high winning percentage trainer is probably not the cheater who will burn you the most. Dr. Mark Gerard, a veterinarian who'd taken care of Secretariat when that horse won the Triple Crown in 1973, served as the agent to import two horsesCinzano and Lebonfrom Uruguay to the United States in June 1977. He moved to dismiss the indictment before trial on the ground that it failed to allege facts sufficient for an enterprise under RICO. The casino ban and racetrack ban are partly based on information uncovered by detectives in 2011, which sparked a major race-fixing inquiry known as the "Smoking Aces affair". HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The City of London police, who took over the latest investigation into alleged race-fixing after receiving information from the Jockey Club earlier this year, have a wealth of experience when it comes to analysing such data, and teasing out patterns that suggest collusion. A South African jockey has been banned for life from New Zealand racing for threatening harm to a rival and ex-girlfriend by causing her to fall during a race. Jacinto Vasquez was suspended a year for allegedly offering a bribe. The man accused of running the ring, Daniel P. Kramer, 44, of Scarsdale, N.Y., was arrested earlier this week. Ex-jockey Danny Brock has been banned from horse racing for 15 years for his part in a betting conspiracy. Philip Armson, one of the season's leading conditional jockeys with 24 winners, has been ruled out of next month's Cheltenham Festival by a whip ban following the latest meeting of the British . Where there is a will there will be a way. You use something under the radar, out. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ A jockey who pleaded guilty to race fixing claims he was associated with an ``unsavory person'' he learned was connected to another jockey found dead in the San Francisco Bay. 1. Their identities had been switched, and Gerard served time behind bars for the scheme. Ban is later cut to five years. Who besides the rider knows if a horse feels off, or took an awkward step? If cheating was as simple as the Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro indictments it would be a lot easier to clean up. In March, he was found guilty of accepting bets on two horses owned by the Platinum Racing Club, of which he was a director, which were subsequently well beaten. He rode his first Derby winner for Cecil two years later, only to be sacked by the trainer soon afterwards following claims - which Fallon denied - of an affair with Cecil's then wife, Natalie. Although it occurs in horse racing, when you think about it, it really shouldnt tarnish the sport more than it does any other sport, and various other money on the line endeavors. Con Errico appeals from his conviction after a jury trial in the Eastern District of New York, Chief Judge Weinstein presiding, on one count of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute, 18 U.S.C.