The Jockey Club imposed the organization’s version of the death penalty on Lope M. Gonzalez a few days ago, denying the Florida Thoroughbred breeder “all privileges of The American Stud Book.” The lifetime ban on registering Thoroughbred foals or submitting any documents relating to foal registration takes effect on January 1, 2011. The nearly 11-month lag between The Jockey Club’s decision to impose the ban and the penalty’s effective date allows the registration of foals conceived while Gonzalez still had access to the Stud Book.

The ban is the most severe sanction The Jockey Club can impose. It was the right thing to do, especially considering the anemic response from the court