LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — A well-known animal rights advocacy group sent a letter to Churchill Downs alongside a formal complaint with the Louisiana Racing Commission (LRC) asking to revoke the license of a jockey and investigate him after multiple horse-whipping violations.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced on Feb. 4 that the organization had asked leadership at Churchill Downs to ban Paco Lopez from competing in the 2026 Run for the Roses, as well as “wipe out the previous Kentucky Derby points earned on the horse Chip Honcho, and declare any horses ridden by Lopez in future Kentucky Derby–qualifying races ineligible for points, including the Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes on February 14 and the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on March 21.”
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PETA wrote on Wednesday that, during the Lecomte Stakes, which is a Derby-qualifying race, Lopez allegedly whipped his horse Chip Honcho seven times, a violation of the LRC’s six-strike limit.
While the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) reportedly doesn’t cover Louisiana, its own state regulations on whipping are consistent with the group’s rules, PETA claimed in a Wednesday press release…