The abrupt firing of former Kentucky Horse Racing Commission chief steward John Veitch has divided the state's thoroughbred community.
Veitch, 66, was fired without cause last Monday when the Hall of Fame trainer received a letter notifying him of his dismissal from the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, which oversees the racing commission. He appealed the decision two days later, saying the state violated his rights by failing to give a reason for his dismissal and that he's been discriminated against because of his age.
''I would hate to be in Mr. Veitch's position,'' said Lexington-based trainer Charlie Lopresti, who won Churchill Downs' Grade 1 Clark Handicap with Wise Dan two weeks ago. ''I don't really understand why they let him go.''
Veitch's lawyer, Tom Miller, said that the Kentucky Personnel Board will send a notice when the case is to proceed and that there will be at least a 20-day window before a hearing takes place.
Veitch, the chief state steward since 2005, is seeking that he be reinstated and awarded damages.
He was cited in the summer for his handling of the 2010 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic at Churchill Downs regarding the filly Life At Ten. During that race, the horse was uncompetitive and eased. Before the race, her jockey John Velazquez told a TV commentator that the horse wasn't warming up the way she typically did.
Life At Ten contested the race, but the jockey's comment sparked a debate as to whether Veitch should have scratched the filly from the race or ordered her to the test barn following her poor performance.
Veitch did neither and later contested the KHRC's charges that he committed multiple violations of the state's racing rules. His firing came before a recommendation could be made about possible sanctions. Hearing officer Bob Layton is expected to make a recommendation to the commission about the incident by Dec. 14.
''The two are not related: the dismissal and the report by the hearing officer,'' said Dick Brown, a spokesman for the Public Protection department. ''That report will still come forward.''
Rick Williams, assistant director of the Kentucky Breeders' Incentive Fund, has been named interim chief steward while the KHRC is conducting a national search for a permanent replacement. The job is currently posted on its website.
In the meantime, those in the Kentucky thoroughbred industry are left with unanswered questions.
''From the outside looking in, it seems he needed to be fired for not doing his job, but I wish I knew more about the situation,'' said Suzi Shoemaker, owner of Lantern Hill Farm. ''The feeling is just that there is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that we really don't know about.''
Lopresti believes there could be reasons for the dismissal that have yet to be made public.
''Maybe they had a reason they aren't telling people,'' he said. ''I don't think that one particular instance is one you fire someone over. I bet there is more to it than the story tells.''
However, Shoemaker believes Veitch's handling of the Life At Ten situation should have cost him his job and that Veitch's credentials may have postponed his eventual firing.
''I don't know what the reasons were for letting him go without cause, but I would assume there was a good legal reason for making that the case,'' Shoemaker said. ''I have nothing against John Veitch as a person, but I think if he were a less well-known name, perhaps he would have been let go quite quickly for that kind of behavior.''
