Santa Anita stewards deny Valenzuela exercise license

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Patrick Valenzuela told Santa Anita stewards March 9 that his riding career was “done” after he failed to show up to ride Jan. 24-25, and that he wanted to work as an exercise rider for income.

On Friday, the stewards denied that request, stating in a one-page ruling that Valenzuela not be eligible to ride or work as an exercise rider through October 2015, the term of his current jockey’s license.

In the ruling, stewards Scott Chaney, Kim Sawyer, and Tom Ward fined Valenzuela $1,000 for failing to ride Jan. 24-25 and suspended his jockey’s license for the current term. The ruling recommended that Valenzuela “not be eligible for a jockey’s license or exercise rider’s license.”

Friday’s ruling does not prohibit Valenzuela from attending the races or seeking a different job in racing.

At the March 9 hearing, Valenzuela said he was having financial difficulties.

During the hearing, Valenzuela said he overslept Jan. 24 and missed his mounts. He said he was too embarrassed to call the stewards and that he was frustrated by going winless with 20 mounts at this meeting in December and January.

“I’m not going to ride,” he told the stewards.

The stewards told Valenzuela that they had difficulty believing his story about oversleeping.

Valenzuela, 51, has a history of substance-abuse and personal problems that have hurt his career. He is best known for winning the 1989 Kentucky Derby on Sunday Silence. Valenzuela has won 4,347 races.