VALENZUELA COMING: Jockey Patrick Valenzuela will arrive at the Fair Grounds on Thursday and wants to begin riding by Saturday or Sunday, said Danny Gargan, who will be Valenzuela's agent.
Valenzuela, who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness on Sunday Silence in 1989 and who has seven Breeders' Cup victories, for years was among the best riders based in Southern California. He also has a history of substance-abuse problems and suspensions.
His latest problem came Dec. 28, when the California Horse Racing Board terminated the conditional license under which he was riding. He had been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol -- a violation of the terms of the conditional license.
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