On Friday morning at Santa Anita, Patrick Valenzuela worked three horses, continuing a daily routine from the last several weeks.
Later this year, the 62-year-old Valenzuela, who has a lengthy history of personal disruptions in an otherwise accomplished career, hopes to resume riding for the first time since December 2016.
On Tuesday, Valenzuela is scheduled to appear at a fitness-for-license hearing conducted by an officer appointed by the California Horse Racing Board. Twice in recent years, a hearing officer has rejected Valenzuela’s attempt to return, according to a racing board official.
After Tuesday’s hearing, the hearing officer will submit a decision to the racing board, which will discuss the case in a closed session after its monthly meeting. The racing board is scheduled to meet in Sacramento on June 19 and at Del Mar on Aug. 21. There is no meeting in July.
Considering the proximity of Tuesday’s hearing to the board meeting in June, Valenzuela’s case is more likely to be heard by the board in August, an official said. The board can reject, modify, or accept the decision of the hearing officer.
In a brief interview on Friday morning, Valenzuela said he hopes his case will be heard by the racing board in June.
“We’ll hope everyone works out,” he said. “I’m going to pray about it.”
Valenzuela, who is currently licensed as an exercise rider, is well known for winning such races as the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes on Sunday Silence.
Valenzuela won seven Breeders’ Cup races from 1986 to 2003 and was a former leading rider on the tough Southern California circuit. He has won five riding titles at Del Mar, most recently in the summer of 2003; two titles at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, most recently in 2005-2006; and five titles at Hollywood Park, the last in the fall of 2003.
But Valenzuela’s career has been plagued by repeated disruptions caused by substance-abuse problems that have led to suspensions and interruptions. Valenzuela, who began riding in 1978 and has won 4,372 races, has not ridden in California since early 2014.
In 2015, Valenzuela’s request for a jockey’s license was rejected by the racing board. The decision came after Valenzuela was suspended in March 2014 for failing to appear to ride on consecutive days at Santa Anita in January 2014. At the time, track stewards stated Valenzuela should not be reinstated in any capacity.
Valenzuela appealed the decision to a hearing officer who recommended he be reinstated as a jockey. The racing board rejected the decision but allowed Valenzuela to hold an exercise rider’s license in the state.
In March 2016, Valenzuela’s request for a jockey’s license in California was rejected by the racing board. Valenzuela appealed but was unable to overturn the decision. He was licensed in Louisiana at the time and rode at Fair Grounds until that fall.
In recent months, Valenzuela has had a presence at Santa Anita during morning training, exercising horses for a variety of trainers.
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