Jockey Desormeaux suspended for five days
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Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux has been suspended five racing days for causing interference that led to a two-horse spill in the first race at Santa Anita on Oct. 5. The suspension days are Oct. 18-19 and Oct. 24-26, the final five days of the current Santa Anita autumn meeting.
The incident that resulted in the penalty happened in the stretch of a $25,000 claiming race for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Desormeaux’s mount, Hey Demps, was in front of Blue Oasis when that rival clipped heels and fell. Lita Way, who was trailing the field, could not avoid Blue Oasis and fell.
The stewards disqualified Hey Demps from second to unplaced, citing Desormeaux for “failure to make a proper effort to maintain a straight course, resulting in an accident.”
Blue Oasis and Lita Way were transported to the stables. Jockeys Kyle Frey and Jeremy Laprida, who were unseated, escaped injury.
Frey did not ride the remainder of Friday’s program. Frey had one win from 12 mounts last Saturday and Sunday. Laprida, who rides sparingly, did not have any mounts last weekend. Laprida has one mount at Santa Anita this Sunday.
Desormeaux, who has 15 wins this year, has one mount at Santa Anita on Friday and Monday.
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