Jockey Valenzuela briefly hospitalized after training mishap

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who has not ridden since December 2016 but is hoping to make a comeback in coming months, was briefly hospitalized on Sunday after an incident during morning workouts at Del Mar.

Valenzuela was unseated prior to the start of a workout aboard the unraced gelding Fire Mountain, trained by Peter Eurton. Valenzuela was treated and released by midday.

“I’m sore,” Valenzuela said in a brief interview with Daily Racing Form early Sunday afternoon. “I’m relaxing.”

Valenzuela said he hoped to work horses on Monday morning.

A former leading rider, Valenzuela is hoping to return to riding, pending approval from the California Horse Racing Board.

:: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now.

Valenzuela, who began riding in 1978, has won 4,372 races, including seven Breeders’ Cup races and the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes aboard Sunday Silence, but has a history of personal disruptions through his career.

In June, a fitness-for-license hearing was conducted before an administrative law judge to determine whether Valenzuela should be permitted to resume riding. The judge’s decision will be presented to the racing board in a closed session in September. The racing board can accept, modify, or deny the decision.

Earlier on Sunday in the stable area, Valenzuela said he remains optimistic he can resume riding.

“I’ll take it one day at a time,” he said.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.