Brayan Pena undergoes drug test in an effort to resume riding

Jockey Brayan Pena, who has not ridden since Aug. 14 at Santa Rosa after testing positive for marijuana, met with stewards at Golden Gate Fields on Friday morning and submitted a urine sample in an effort to resume riding as early as next week, according to steward Richard Lewis.

Pena, 32, must test negative before he is allowed to resume riding, Lewis said. There is a possibility Pena will be named to ride on a provisional basis for the Sept. 16 program when entries are taken on Saturday, pending the results of Friday’s test.

Pena was named on horses on the opening weekend of the current Golden Gate Fields meeting, which began on Aug. 26, but was not allowed to ride.

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Pena’s absence has interrupted what may still be his best season. Already this year he has won 59 races, 10 fewer than his career-best of 69 wins set in 2021. Pena’s mounts have earned more than $1.13 million, with his career-best mark of $1.23 million set last year.

Pena tied for eighth in the jockey standings with 38 wins at the Golden Gate winter-spring meeting, which ended in June, and tied for second at the Cal Expo State Fair meeting in Sacramento, which ended in late July, and the two-week meeting at Santa Rosa in August.