The Office of the Inspector General in the Kentucky Transportation Department is assisting the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) in its probe of Life At Ten's participation in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic.

Although the commission staff, under direction of its director of security, is conducting the bulk of the investigation, representatives from the Transportation Department were brought in to handle the role of the stewards in the Life At Ten matter, according to Lisa Underwood, executive director of the KHRC.

"The commission wanted an external authority to handle that aspect of the investigation in order to eliminate any appearance of impropriety on the part of the commission," Underwood said in an e-mail message. "The director of security reports to the stewards, and it would not have been appropriate for him to be in charge of that portion of the investigation."

Though more than two months have elapsed since the Life At Ten incident, Underwood said she could not provide a timetable for when the investigation will be completed and a report for the commission would be issued. The next commission meeting is scheduled for Feb. 9