LOS ANGELES (AP) Jockey Patrick Valenzuela on Tuesday was
granted a delay of a five-day suspension by the California Horse
Racing Board.
The suspension would have prevented him from riding Wednesday
through Sunday at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.
Racing authorities contended he interfered with a horse ridden
by Omar Berrio on Sept. 8 at Del Mar. Both jockeys were fined $500
each for a fight after the race.
Judge David Yaffe granted a 30-day stay of the suspension, which
will allow Valenzuela to ride in the Breeders' Cup World
Thoroughbred Championships at Santa Anita on Oct. 25, said
Valenzuela's attorney, Donald Calabria. The delay was sought to
allow Valenzuela to appeal the suspension.
Appeals are heard by an administrative law judge, but no hearing
date has been scheduled, Calabria said. If a hearing is not held
within 30 days, Calabria said he will return to court to seek a
further delay of the suspension.
Valenzuela previously was suspended four times this year and he
appealed all those rulings. An administrative law judge has made a
decision on those four appeals, but the racing board has not yet
received those findings, CHRB spokesman Michael Marten said.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)