Jockey Abel Lezcano has been suspended eight racing days – July 18 through 31 – for careless riding and excessive use of the whip in the ninth race at Los Alamitos on June 27, according to two recent rulings published by track stewards.
The suspension coincides with the first eight racing days of the Del Mar summer meeting.
Lezcano was given a seven-day suspension for his ride on Pokerknightatvees who did not maintain a straight course leading to another runner losing its rider in upper stretch of an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs. Pokerknightatvees was disqualified from second and listed as unplaced.
In a separate ruling, Lezcano was fined $250 and suspended one racing day – July 31 – for using his whip nine times, three times over the permitted level, on Pokerknightatvees.
Lezcano intends to seek court action in coming days to allow him to ride while he seeks an appeal, according to his agent, Ryan Glatt, and attorney, Bing Bush. Glatt said Lezcano will appeal the seven-day suspension, but not the one-day penalty for the whip violation.
Pokerknigthatvees bumped with Mr. Machupicchu, an incident that caused jockey Welfin Orantes to be unseated from Mr. Machupicchu.
Orantes did not ride the remainder of the weekend of June 27-29, but is booked on four mounts daily at Los Alamitos from Friday through Sunday this weekend. Lezcano has one mount on Saturday at Los Alamitos, his only ride this weekend.
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