- Mychel Sanchez has been found betting on other horses in races in which he was a jockey.
- His lawyer claims Sanchez was depressed and used gambling as an outlet.
BENSALEM, Pa. - Mychel Sanchez is facing a suspension after being found gambling on horses other than his own in races he’s a part of.
The Allegations
According to reports, Sanchez, a horse racing jockey who mainly runs at Parx, opened a TVG account in his own name and made 28 bets, some of which were on horses in his races other than the one he was riding.
TVG employees noticed the bets coming in and reported it to the racing commissions which ultimately resulted in a suspension in the state of Pennsylvania. It should be noted that he also had mounts in New York and Maryland during the course of his betting, but it’s unconfirmed whether he used online gambling sites to bet on those races as well.
While an investigation is launched, Sanchez is facing a 60-day suspension that runs to March 21. If no conclusion is reached by then, he’s likely to see another suspension until a final decision can be made.
His Lawyer’s Defense
Sanchez’ lawyer, Alan Pincus, is not refuting the claims or challenging the suspension, but he has offered some context in hopes to clear his client’s name to some degree. Pincus has claimed that Sanchez was suffering from depression and used gambling as an outlet.
Plus, he’s cited that Sanchez won many of the races in which he placed bets on other horses, including some longshots that paid $37 and $27. Sanchez was great for online horse racing bettors in 2020 as he was the leading rider at Parx.
The unfortunate truth for Sanchez is that no matter how successful someone may be, his name will likely forever be tarnished in the gambling committee. Competitive integrity is at the core of all sports and whether or not it’s proven he lost races, it may not make a difference in the public’s eye.