Valenzuela banned from tracks

Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who has not ridden since late January and said at the time his riding career was over, has been banned from racetrack grounds.

Valenzuela failed to appear at a hearing with track stewards Feb. 6 to discuss his absence from riding on Jan. 24 and was subsequently suspended indefinitely. The terms of the suspension deny Valenzuela access to California’s racetracks.

At the time of his absence, the 51-year-old jockey told his agent Tom Knust that he was “done” with riding. Valenzuela, who has won 4,347 races, including the 1989 Kentucky Derby on Sunday Silence, was winless with 20 mounts at the current meeting. He struggled to gain mounts in 2013, with four wins from 89 mounts.