Photo:

Carson Blevins / Eclipse Sportswire

Jockey Luan Machado is being sued by the owner and breeder of a horse he eased up on before the finish of a race at Churchill Downs in November.

The suit was filed in Jefferson Circuit Court in Louisville, Ky., by Gray V Train Racing, owner of Hold My Bourbon, and Westbrook Stables, breeder of the now 4-year-old ridgling, as Thursday by Paulick Report.

The incident occurred in the 10th race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28. Machado and Hold My Bourbon had the lead nearing the finish line in a one-mile allowance race, but Machado eased up early and was caught by Flavien Prat aboard Lightline to lose by a neck.

Machado was fined $1,000 and suspended four days by the Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming Corporation. It was his second violation in three months. In October, Machado was suspended three days and fined $2,500 for easing up ahead of the finish line in a race at Keeneland.

The plaintiffs claim in the suit that Machado’s “negligence” resulted in Grav Y Train lost $47,460 in purse money that it would have received if Hold My Bourbon won the race and that Westbrook lost $3,000 in state incentives for breeders.

They seek monetary judgment for breach of contract, compensatory damages for professional negligence, plus costs and fees.