Monmouth Park Stewards Remove Mejia From Mounts
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Photo: Ryan Denver/ EQUI-PHOTO
Jockey Thomas Mejia and his winning mount Introduced are guided into the winner's circle at Monmouth Park July 23
Jockey Tomas Mejia is not permitted to ride through the weekend at Monmouth Park by track stewards and will have a hearing before them Sept. 15, Monmouth racing secretary and director of racing John Heims said Sept. 10.
Heims would not reveal the reason for the action and the track did not issue a formal announcement. Stewards have regularly declined comment this meet, the first season in which restrictions advanced by the New Jersey Racing Commission prevented use of the riding crop except for safety reasons.
Riding-crop suspensions this year at Monmouth, however, have come after hearings—raising the possibility of a more serious infraction.
Mejia's agent, Robert Tuccille, confirmed the rider would not be in action through the weekend but offered no explanation for the sanction. "I am waiting for more information that is more appropriate to say at this time," he said.
Mejia was replaced aboard three mounts Friday at Monmouth. He last rode at Monmouth Sept. 6, winning aboard Affable Monarch in the day's fourth race for owner Colts Neck Stables and trainer Jorge Duarte. He also won two other races last week at Monmouth, capturing the eighth race there Sept. 5 on Wasabi Ventures Stables' C'Est Mardi for trainer Jesus Cruz and the seventh race Sept. 3 there on Colts Neck Stables's Strongerthanuknow , also trained by Duarte.
Mejia, a native of Panama, has ridden 110 winners in North America from 1,1101 mounts.