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tampa jock arrested
Tampa Bay Downs jock arrested with 'buzzer
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OLDSMAR - Jockey Larry Mejias was scheduled to ride Rackelmylove in the third race at Tampa Bay Downs on Thursday afternoon. Instead, he rode away in the back of a police car.
Mejias was arrested and charged with two felonies - one count of cheating; one count of attempting to arrange, conniving the results of a horse race - when a Hillsborough County Deputy spotted an illegal device in Mejias' left hand.
As Mejias, 29, was about to mount the 3-year-old filly for a seven-furlong $8,000 maiden claiming race, the deputy noticed the battery operated device used to stimulate horses when pressed against the horse's body during a race.
When questioned about the device, Mejias said he acted alone, according to Hillsborough County Sherriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter. Mejias is not among the regular jockeys at the Downs but is an exercise rider there. He has had four mounts this season at TBD, with none of them placing in the money, according to Margo Flynn, director of public relations at the track.
``You don't do that. It's against the law,'' said veteran jockey Jose Ferrer, who has 13 wins in 84 starts this meet. ``I feel bad for the kid. That usually means they are desperate to get on a horse.''
Rackelmylove, owned by Javier Amoedo and trained by Mauricio Nunez, was listed at 8-1 odds on the morning line.
Flynn said Mejias is the first jockey she can remember to be arrested for carrying the cheating device since she came to the Downs 11 years ago.
``The safeguards we have in place are working,'' she said
Tampa Bay Downs jock arrested with 'buzzer
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OLDSMAR - Jockey Larry Mejias was scheduled to ride Rackelmylove in the third race at Tampa Bay Downs on Thursday afternoon. Instead, he rode away in the back of a police car.
Mejias was arrested and charged with two felonies - one count of cheating; one count of attempting to arrange, conniving the results of a horse race - when a Hillsborough County Deputy spotted an illegal device in Mejias' left hand.
As Mejias, 29, was about to mount the 3-year-old filly for a seven-furlong $8,000 maiden claiming race, the deputy noticed the battery operated device used to stimulate horses when pressed against the horse's body during a race.
When questioned about the device, Mejias said he acted alone, according to Hillsborough County Sherriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter. Mejias is not among the regular jockeys at the Downs but is an exercise rider there. He has had four mounts this season at TBD, with none of them placing in the money, according to Margo Flynn, director of public relations at the track.
``You don't do that. It's against the law,'' said veteran jockey Jose Ferrer, who has 13 wins in 84 starts this meet. ``I feel bad for the kid. That usually means they are desperate to get on a horse.''
Rackelmylove, owned by Javier Amoedo and trained by Mauricio Nunez, was listed at 8-1 odds on the morning line.
Flynn said Mejias is the first jockey she can remember to be arrested for carrying the cheating device since she came to the Downs 11 years ago.
``The safeguards we have in place are working,'' she said
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