Leading jockey Hernandez suspended seven days

Jockey Juan Hernandez, who through Sunday had a narrow one-win lead in the jockey standings at Santa Anita, is in the midst of a seven-day suspension for causing interference in the $250,000 Sunland Park Oaks in New Mexico on Feb. 15.

Hernandez’s suspension covers seven calendar days from Monday through this Sunday. The penalty was first reported by Paulick Report.

Through Sunday, Hernandez had won 27 races at the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting that began on Dec. 28, one more than Kazushi Kimura. Emisael Jaramillo was third with 22 wins.

The suspension allows Hernandez to ride in stakes. This weekend, his lone mount is Vibez in Saturday’s Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

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With Hernandez largely absent, there is expected to be changes in the jockey standings. Santa Anita has an eight-race program on Friday, followed by nine-race programs on Saturday and Sunday.

Hernandez's mount, Bottle of Rouge, closed from third in a field of seven to win the Sunland Park Oaks at 1 1/16 miles by 1 1/2 lengths as the 2-5 favorite.

Bottle of Rouge took the lead in early stretch before swerving to the outside. The incident forced jockey Cristian Torres on Pashmina to alter course. Pashmina (5-1) finished third by three lengths. She was passed in deep stretch by eventual second-place finisher Touch of Magic, a 21-1 outsider.

The stewards conducted an inquiry into the incident. In addition, Torres lodged an objection against Bottle of Rouge. The order of finish was not changed.

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