JC / Railbird

Jockeys Archive

Déjà Valenzuela?

Pat Valenzuela and the CHRB, July 2010:

The path to a conditional license in California was opened to Valenzuela, 47, under the terms of a stipulated agreement approved by board members that will require him to submit to hair follicle testing, according to the CHRB.

Pat Valenzuela and the CHRB, July 2004:

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who was suspended for the month of June for failing to submit to a drug test in January, was suspended again by the Hollywood Park board of stewards on Friday for failing to comply with a term of his conditional license that requires he submit to a hair follicle test.

“They never asked me to grow hair,” said the rider. “It’s not my fault.”

I wish Valenzuela well. He’s been riding in Louisiana for two years without trouble, and maybe, as Pat Day tells Jay Hovdey, “this time it will be different.” But I also hope that the CHRB is asking him to grow hair this time around.

Posted in Jockeys on July 22, 2010

High Praise for Sutherland

Chantal Sutherland, Queen of the Longshots: “She could become the best female jockey since Julie Krone” (LAT).

Posted in Jockeys on March 21, 2008

10,00 Wins for Ricardo

Jorge Ricardo becomes the first jockey to get 10,000 wins.

Posted in Jockeys on January 10, 2008

On the Verge

– Jockey Garrett Gomez, on the verge of setting a new record for most stakes wins in a year (DRF), had five mounts at Hollywood this afternoon and won two races, but neither was a stakes. In the War Chant Stakes, Gomez’s ride, the uninspiring favorite Karazi, finished sixth. The victory instead went to Jose Valdivia, aboard 3-1 Warning Zone. Gomez will get his next shot at tying the record, currently held by retired rider Jerry Bailey, on Saturday in the Audrey Skirbal-Kennis Stakes, where he’s named to ride Hucking Hot, a promising filly with a troubled past (ESPN).
– Five favorites and the Aqueduct pick six still paid $14,814. Love Cove at 11-1 in the second leg must have knocked out quite a few tickets vying for a piece of the two-day carryover pot this afternoon.
– There’s a great quote from George Bolton, part-owner of likely Horse of the Year Curlin, in the post-Breeders’ Cup issue of Blood-Horse: “Why would we retire him? So I can buy 10 more that can’t run?” The possibility that the Classic winner might return to the races as a 4-year-old grew stronger today with the news that Bolton and Jess Jackson have bought out partner Satish Sanan’s interest in the colt for an undisclosed sum. “Mr. Bolton and Mr. Jackson are looking at all possibilities for the future of the horse,” said lawyer Richard Getty (Herald-Leader). Bolton and Jackson now control 80% of Curlin. As for the other 20%, Michael at Curb My Enthusiasm has been following that saga.

Posted in Jockeys on November 7, 2007