Reyes banned more days

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Jockey Christian Santiago Reyes received two suspensions earlier this week for causing interference during recent races at Fairplex Park, and has amassed 66 days of unserved penalties since May.

The champion apprentice jockey of 2009, Reyes has been the subject of nine penalties from track stewards since May, ranging from two three-day penalties for causing interference to a 30-day penalty issued earlier this month for “weighing out with a prohibited item in his possession” at Hollywood Park in June. He has served one suspension, a three-day ban for causing interference at Del Mar.

Reyes, 21, recently received decisions by the California Horse Racing Board on two suspensions that were appealed.

Last week, acting on the opinions of designated appellate judge Steffan Imhoff, who heard the appeals, the racing board upheld Reyes’s three-day suspension for causing interference in the fourth race at Hollywood Park on May 19 and reduced a 10-day suspension to a five-day suspension for appearing to grab the reins of a rival jockey near the finish line of the second race at Hollywood Park on May 12. Dates for those suspensions have not been issued.

At Fairplex Park, Reyes was given a three-day suspension by stewards Darrel McHargue, Jon White and Randy Winick for causing interference in the fourth race on Sept. 25 aboard Love Five Plus Two. He was given a five-day suspension for causing interference aboard Michailasheartlite in the 10th race on Monday.

Because of the large number of days of unserved penalties, the Fairplex Park stewards ordered Reyes suspended Dec. 11-12 and Dec. 15 for the three-day penalty and from Dec. 16-19 and Dec. 26 for the five-day penalty.