Talamo suspended three days for causing interference

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Joe Talamo has been suspended three days – Thursday through Saturday next week – for causing interference that led to the disqualification of Diablo Caballero from first to third in the ninth race last Monday.

Through Thursday, Talamo was tied for third in the rider standings at the fall meeting with seven wins. Rafael Bejarano was leading all riders with 15 wins.

Jockey Drayden Van Dyke, the nation’s leading apprentice in 2014, has been suspended for next Thursday and Friday for repeated incidents of excessive whip use. According to a ruling issued Thursday by Santa Anita stewards, Van Dyke has been cited five times since July 1 for the infraction.

In California, riders are not allowed to strike a horse more than three times in succession without giving their mounts a chance to respond. Van Dyke was cited for his ride on Picasso’s Mandolin, who finished second in the first race last Monday. Van Dyke is serving a one-day suspension Sunday for a similar infraction last Sunday.