Bejarano will serve three-day suspension

CYPRESS, Calif.– Jockey Rafael Bejarano, who led the standings at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting that ended April 10, recently dropped an appeal of a three-day suspension from February.

Bejarano, 33, will be suspended for three racing days – Sunday, Thursday, and Friday. There are no designated races exempt from suspension during that time frame in California, meaning Bejarano will not be in action. Designated races are typically graded stakes that are exempt from routine suspensions.

Bejarano was cited for causing interference in the first race Feb. 11. Bejarano was the runaway leader in the jockey standings at the winter-spring meeting, winning 74 races. Flavien Prat was second with 51 winners.

Prat and Abel Lezcano have been suspended five days for causing interference in separate races at Santa Anita on April 10.

The suspensions begin next Sunday and cover the racing week of April 28-30 and May 1.

Prat was cited for careless riding on Candy Promises in the fifth race. Candy Promises moved out on the backstretch without clearance, causing interference that led to the fall of Black Sona. Candy Promises finished first but was disqualified and placed sixth.

Prat is riding at Keeneland through April 29 and at Churchill Downs from April 30 to May 7. The suspension covers racing in that state.

Lezcano was cited for failing to maintain a straight course on Too Fast to Pass in the third race. Too Fast to Pass was disqualified from third to fifth.

Lezcano faces eight days of suspensions in the coming weeks. He is suspended Sunday, Thursday, and Friday for causing interference in the first race at Santa Anita on April 3 aboard Lady Chairman.