Two Jockeys Have Suspensions Stayed Way Cleared For Bergsrud, Parker To Race At Playfair

Jockey Scott Bergsrud’s first important win of the horse racing season came in court.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Robert Whaley stayed the suspensions of Bergsrud and jockey Darren Parker Friday, clearing the way for them to accept mounts next Friday night.

The leading rider at Playfair Race Course the last two years, Bergsrud and three other jockeys, including Parker, were suspended on June 28 by the Washington Horse Racing Commission. They have been implicated in an alleged plot to manipulate the outcome of a race or races last November.

Playfair opened on July 1.

Bergsrud is in Great Falls, Mont., where he’s expected to ride through the weekend. He’ll return to Spokane early next week, Playfair general manager Dan Hillyard said.

Bergsrud and Parker will be allowed to ride through a hearing in front of the commission that has yet to be scheduled.

Racing commission executive secretary Bruce Batson said he remains confident that the “evidence eventually will merit serious action” against the riders.

The suspensions of riders Tim Masters and Jeff Jones remain in effect.

An investigative summary prepared by Batson indicates that Washington State Patrol interviews with Masters and Jones are the basis of the case that links the riders to suspended trainer Dale Norwick.

Norwick, in a Kennewick jail awaiting trial for murder, is accused of paying Masters and Jones to restrain their mounts.

The commission’s investigative summary indicates that Bergsrud and Parker are linked to the alleged plot in statements made to WSP investigators by Masters and Jones.

Bergsrud’s attorney, Mark Vovos, said the court recognized there was no emergency to support an emergency suspension. “It’s a nice victory for Mr. Bergsrud,” Vovos said. “We did a poor job of demonstrating to the judge the depth of our investigation in general and the depth of it since May 17,” Batson said. “I’m disappointed but not surprised” at the ruling.

In overturning the commission’s suspensions, Judge Whaley wrote that the emergency “was of the making of the commission’s employees rather than the underlying facts of the proceeding.”

Jockey agent LeRoy Nelson is also seeking legal action to return.

The important step, Batson said, is to set a hearing and resolve the case as quickly and as fairly as possible.

“I would schedule it tomorrow if I could,” Batson said. “Since May 17 we’ve conducted more than 50 interviews. We have gone into greater detail on the wagering and cashing (of winning tickets in the races in question last November). We’re aware of the licensees’ rights. We also understand our obligation to protect the integrity of racing.”

Playfair’s Hillyard said, “They were essentially denied the right to work without a hearing. We aren’t a judge or a jury, but the only decision we feel we can make is to let them ride until they’ve had their hearing before the commission.”

Twin tri delayed: Playfair was poised for its first five-figure twin trifecta pool Friday, but the $7,325 carryover from Monday will be added to the pot tonight because of an unusual circumstance.

When three late scratches reduced the field for Friday’s seventh race to seven starters, the twin trifecta was called off, under the rules, and everyone holding exchange tickets was allowed to share in the second half of the nightly pool. As a result, 42 ticket holders received $64.40, the same amount they received for making the correct picks in the sixth race.