▁when ▁the ▁horse ▁was ▁voted ▁U . S . ▁Champion ▁Hand ic ap ▁Male ▁Hor se . ▁ ▁After ▁twenty - n ine ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁j ockey , ▁Er rico ' s ▁career ▁came ▁to ▁an ▁end ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ind icted ▁on ▁race - fix ing ▁charges . ▁In ▁his ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁New ▁York ▁trial ▁in ▁ 2 nd ▁Circ uit ▁Court ▁(" Un ited ▁States ▁v . ▁Er rico , ▁ 6 3 5 ▁F . ▁ 2 d ▁ 1 5 2 "), ▁the ▁chief ▁Government ▁witness ▁was ▁j ockey ▁José ▁Amy ▁who ▁himself ▁would ▁be ▁b anned ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁racing ▁for ▁almost ▁twenty - five ▁years ▁for ▁his ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁sc andal . ▁Amy ▁test ified ▁that ▁Con ▁Er rico ▁paid ▁him ▁and ▁other ▁j ock e ys ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁$ 7 , 5 0 0 ▁per ▁race ▁to ▁hold ▁back ▁their ▁horses . ▁Con v icted , ▁Er rico ▁was ▁f ined ▁$ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁in ▁prison . ▁In ▁poor ▁health , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁he ▁was ▁released ▁from ▁the ▁Federal ▁Cor re ction al ▁Institution ▁in ▁Sand stone , ▁Minnesota . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁Con ▁Er rico ▁was ▁living ▁at ▁De er field ▁Beach , ▁Florida ▁when ▁he ▁suffered ▁a ▁stroke ▁after ▁open - heart ▁surg ery ▁and ▁died ▁a ▁short ▁time ▁later ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 1 . ▁