The 152nd Kentucky Derby is barely ten days in the rearview, but the celebration met a reality check for a rider. An ‘up-and-comer’ must face the music because of his actions. The United States Horse Safety Authority has handed down a suspension and fine for excessive use of the whip.

US Horse Safety Authority, The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) confirmed that Cristian Torres, who rode Robusta and finished 14th, was subject to fines and a suspension. According to their official website, he’s been fined a total of $5,000 and issued a five-day suspension for hitting violations in two races. Torres struck Search Party eight times at Kentucky Oaks (May 2), earning a $2,000 fine and two-day suspension (May 17, 21).

Eight hits exceed the limit by two, marking his second violation in 180 days. The third infraction came when he struck Robusta during the 152nd Kentucky Derby. The Puerto Rican jockey struck the colt seven times, which is one over the limit under HISA’s regulations. Thus, he was fined $3,000 and suspended for three days, covering May 24, 25, and 28.

A rider is allowed to strike the horse only up to six times, that too within the permissible force limit. The excessive strikes will be flagged as it potentially harms the horse.

Under HISA regulations, jockeys who exceed the crop-use limit face a fine. The figure is either $250 or 10% of their purse earnings, whichever is greater. That’s only if the jockey hasn’t already had a penalty imposed on him in a 180-day period.

This is Cristian Torres’ second and third violation in that window, with his first coming in late March. The 28-year-old struck Texas Sequoia eight times during a race at Oaklawn Park, which is two above the limit. Thus, he earned a $250 fine and a one-day suspension. Yet, this is far from his first such violation, as Torres has been suspended and fined twenty-one times during his career.

He earned three violations in 2025 and 2024, and eleven in 2023. Yet despite that, at 28, he’s considered to be an up-and-comer. That’s after he emerged as a star following two consecutive titles in Arkansas in 2022/23 and 2023/24. In 2026 alone, he has raced 344 times and finished in the money 142 times. Out of that, the horse he has ridden has won a race 52 times this year alone, earning just over $5 million in prize money.

As per HISA’s ruling, Cristian Torres has appealed both the decisions and requested a stay of the suspension until the appeal. It does mean he will be allowed to race until then, although that could change based on the appeal. Either way, Torres was not scheduled to participate in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park.

Interestingly, Junior Alvarado, who rode Sovereignty to victory at the Kentucky Derby in 2025, was fined a hefty $62,000 for hitting the colt eight times. It was Alvarado’s second offense within 180 days, as the fine was doubled.

As the debate between defining the limits of hitting rages on, the number of infractions is increasing thanks to HISA’s strict guidelines. At the Kentucky Derby, Torres wasn’t the only jockey to be fined at the Derby.

Kentucky Derby debutant Atsuya Nishimura sanctioned by HISA

While the Kentucky Derby had a variety of stories, Atsuya Nishimura’s made it rather interesting. The 26-year-old was making his Derby debut as a jockey aboard Danon Bourbon. While not a favourite, the horse was racing in the United States for the first time ever, in the Derby. That alone made the story even more interesting, although Danon Bourbon’s lineage did help the cause.

The colt is the son of Maxfield, a racehorse that earned $2 million while winning five races at Churchill Downs across his career. And the two did rather well on their Kentucky Derby debut, as Atsuya Nishimura rode Danon Bourbon to a fifth-place finish. It marked their first defeat together. after two unbeaten starts. Yet given the competition at the Derby, an impressive result.

However, things only changed after the Derby, as HISA hit the Japanese jockey hard with a suspension and a fine for violations. According to their official report, the organisation gave the 26-year-old a $1,000 fine and a one-race suspension (May 7) despite it being his first violation. Yet, as per the report, the violation arose because Nishimura struck Danon Bourbon seven times, which is one over the limit. 

With both Cristian Torres and Atsuya Nishimura now sanctioned after the Kentucky Derby weekend, HISA’s crackdown on crop-use violations continues to tighten across horse racing. And with Torres awaiting the result of his appeal, the fallout from Churchill Downs may still have another twist left. 

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