Saratoga: 3 jockeys will serve suspensions during final race week

Photo:

NYRA / Dom Napolitano / Eclipse Sportswire

Jockeys Jose Lezcano, John Velazquez and Irad Ortiz Jr. will all serve suspensions during the upcoming race week at Saratoga.

Lezcano and Velazquez will serve suspensions Wednesday through Friday, while Ortiz will serve a single day Wednesday. Under a rule that took effect last year in New York jockeys must serve suspensions at the track where the violations occurred, meaning they cannot serve them when racing moves back to Aqueduct for the autumn. These suspensions were previously reported by David Grening of Daily Racing Form.

Lezcano has been suspended for three days for his ride on Albedo in the eighth race on Aug. 18, a $30,000 maiden claimer for New York-breds at a mile on the dirt. During that race, he allowed his horse to drift out, causing multiple horses outside of him to bump into each other and alter course. Albedo crossed the wire third, and though there was a stewards’ inquiry into the stretch run, he was not disqualified in the race.

Velazquez will serve a three-day suspension for his ride on Vino Rouge in the 10th race on Aug. 16, an allowance-optional claiming race for fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the lawn. She crossed the wire first, but after a stewards’ inquiry she was disqualified to fourth for coming out late and causing a chain reaction outside of her.

Ortiz will serve a one-day suspension in addition to paying a $500 fine for a violation of Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority crop rules while riding Tommy Two Socks in a claiming-level dirt sprint Aug. 18 at Saratoga. According to a ruling published on the HISA website there was no purse forfeited and there were no points issued, but Ortiz will be suspended Wednesday.

Going into the final week of the Saratoga meet Ortiz is the leading rider by wins with 42, five clear of second-place Flavien Prat. Velazquez has 14 wins with a week left in the meet, while Lezcano has 10.