Opinion ID: 4561260
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Disqualification Procedure

Text: When a horse commits a racing infraction that impedes the progress of another horse, the owner, authorized agent, trainer, or jockey of the affected horse may lodge a complaint with the stewards. 810 KAR 1:017 § 1(b). If the basis of the objection is “interference by a horse, improper course run by a horse, foul riding by a jockey, or any other matter occurring during and incident to the running of the race,” the aggrieved party must lodge the objection before the winner of the race has been officially posted. Id. § 3(b). In response to such an objection, stewards decide whether to disqualify a horse. In doing so, the stewards: (a) Make all findings of fact as to all matters occurring during and incident to the running of a race; (b) Determine all objections and inquiries based on interference by a horse, improper course run by a horse, foul riding by a jockey, and all other matters occurring during and incident to the running of a race; and (c) Determine the extent of disqualification, if any, of horses in a race for a foul committed during the race. Id. § 4(1)(a)–(c). And particularly relevant here, the regulation provides that the stewards’ “[f]indings of fact and determination shall be final and shall not be subject to appeal.” 810 KAR 1:017 § 4(2) (emphasis added); see also 810 KAR 1:029 § 2(9) (stating that a party may appeal the stewards’ order or ruling to the Commission “except as to the extent of disqualification for a foul in a race or as to a finding of fact as occurred during an[d] incident to the running of a race”). KRS § 13B. 140(1), however, provides that “[a]ll final orders of an agency shall be subject to judicial review.” A central issue in this appeal, therefore, is whether the stewards’ decision to disqualify a horse in a race is a “final order[] of an agency.”