Belmont winner Valdivia postpones full-time move to New York circuit

ELMONT, N.Y. - Jose Valdivia has put his plans to ride in New York on a full-time basis on hold.

Instead, the Belmont Stakes-winning rider will continue to ride at Monmouth Park on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays while trying to drum up business in New York on Wednesdays and Thursdays, he said late Monday afternoon. Valdivia has retained the retired Hall of Fame rider Jorge Velasquez to be his agent.

"There's only five weeks left until Saratoga, and it's probably hard for me to build up business going into that meet," said Valdivia, who last week said he wanted to try to ride in New York on a full-time basis. "I definitely believe I can ride there, but from a business standpoint I don't want to give up my Monmouth Park business."

Valdivia, who won the Belmont Stakes aboard Ruler On Ice for owners George and Lori Hall and trainer Kelly Breen, is only 3 for 60 at Monmouth, with 12 seconds.

Valdivia said he hopes to move to New York sometime this fall and stay for the winter. Last winter, Valdivia won 25 races from 151 mounts during Aqueduct's inner track meet.