Mena misses big win

[Ronnie]

Mena misses big win : Jockey Miguel Mena missed a flight to Mountaineer Race Track, which cost him the biggest win of his career when 23-1 shot Soul Warrior triumphed in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby on Saturday. Substitute rider Dale Beckner got the mount instead.

Steve Elzey, Mena’s agent, suggested Sunday that a drinking problem caused the jockey to miss the race. Elzey said Mena will attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and will pay his agent the amount of money – approximately $20,000 - the agent would have made had the rider fulfilled his commitments.

“I told every trainer here this week, he has a little issue. If he has one drink, he gets stupid,” Elzey said. “But ability-wise, there’s nobody better. And when he keeps his act together, all the trainers want to use him. If he quit doing what he does today, he could be leading rider at any of these top tracks in the next 12 months.’’

Mena, 22, is riding in his first Spa meet and won the Grade II Sanford with Backtalk on Thursday.

Elzey will continue to manage Mena’s book and the rider will remain at Saratoga, but the agent said his jockey is treading on thin ice in his first full summer at the Spa.

Mena also recently failed to fulfill his commitments on six mounts at Churchill Downs, when he missed his flight back to Kentucky on June 7, the day after the Belmont Stakes.

http://blog.timesunion.com/horseraci...notebook/2193/