Valdivia, Herrera Suspended for Rides in Spill Race

California stewards issued suspensions for careless riding Aug. 26 to two riders involved in a seven-horse spill at Del Mar Aug. 22 that left several jockeys with minor injuries. The race, the seventh on the card from this past Sunday, was declared a no contest, resulting in betting refunds.

Stewards gave veteran rider Jose Valdivia Jr. a suspension of 10 racing days and apprentice Diego Herrera a suspension of five racing days. Valdivia has already appealed his suspension, agent Nick Hines said.

The Thursday ruling cited Valdivia for "crossing over without sufficient clearance entering the far turn and causing interference, resulting in an accident." At the same time, Herrera was deemed at fault for "allowing his mount to remain in tight quarters entering the far turn and causing interference, resulting in an accident."

Valdivia's suspension is to run Sept. 2-6, 10-12, and Sept. 17-18, though his appeal could affect those dates.

The spill occurred about halfway through a $20,000 maiden claiming contest race at six furlongs. Sassy Chasey , running in third under Herrera, clipped the heels of the Valdivia-ridden Katie's Paradise , who led after breaking from the outside post in the field of 12. Herrera's mount then fell, unseating Herrera, and a chain-reaction spill ensued with horses and jockeys crashing to the main track.

"The truth is, Jose said, 'Hey, I lost the kid. I looked to my left. I looked to my right,'" Hines noted, feeling Herrera was in a blind spot. "As he advanced on the turn and switched leads, the kid came out. The kid went right when Jose was going left, and that's when they clipped heels."

Only five horses completed the race, though the fallen horses escaped significant injury, Del Mar announced shortly afterward.

Several jockeys will miss riding for all or a portion of this week due to soreness and other minor injuries, Daily Racing Form reported.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux, who finished second in the race on Kind But She Lies , avoiding the incident, told BloodHorse that Herrera was in a precarious position.

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Hines expressed frustration at the length of the suspension given to Valdivia, which amounts to three weeks of racing, he said. Most riding suspensions are three to five days in California. He bristled that Valdivia was given twice the suspension of Herrera.

"So they're saying they're both at fault, but Jose was more at fault? How's that?" Hines speculated. "If it's mutual, give them five and five."

Valdivia, 46, is a winner of 1,974 races and almost $79.8 million in purse earnings, a record that includes a Belmont Stakes (G1) victory in 2011 on Ruler On Ice  and a Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) win on Val Royal  in 2001. He has six wins at the current Del Mar meeting from 58 mounts.

Vince DeGregory, agent for Herrera, said his rider will not appeal. Herrera also served another suspension early in the Del Mar meet. Herrera is winless in 31 rides at Del Mar after a successful spring and summer at Los Alamitos Race Course, winning races during its afternoon and evening meets.

"They gave him five days for being in there," DeGregory said of close quarters in the Del Mar incident. "His horse was in there. He didn't push him in there. He took him there.

"But we're not going to argue about the stewards. He is going to take his days, and go on from there."